Grevillea R.Br. ex Knight
Prostrate shrublets to tall trees. Lvs alternate, often simple and entire, otherwise toothed, lobed, 1-2-pinnatifid or pinnate, sometimes spine-tipped. Fls in axillary or terminal, elongated or reduced and umbel-like racemes, ⚥, pedicellate; bracts usually caducous. Perianth usually somewhat irregular; tube usually revolute and curved under limb, sometimes straight; limb usually globular with segments soon becoming revolute. Anthers sessile in the concave perianth segments. Nectary usually semi-circular, sometimes 2-lobed or ± annular or 0. Ovary usually stipitate, rarely sessile, glabrous; ovules 2. Style persistent, usually ± = perianth, curved and protruding from slit on lower side of perianth tube before apex is free from limb, straightening out at anthesis; apex ± dilated, forming an oblique disc or an erect or lateral cone; stigma small. Fr. a coriaceous or rarely woody follicle, with inner faces of valves concave. Seeds 1-2, with narrow and ± annular wing or wingless.
150-170 spp., mostly Australia, few in Indonesia, New Guinea and New Caledonia. Naturalised sp. 1.
Many spp. and hybrids are grown in N.Z. for their ornamental fls which usually range in colour from pink and orange to crimson and scarlet, although a few are yellow or white. Clones or hybrids of the following shrubby spp. are very common in cultivation: G. alpina Lindley, G. asplenifolia Knight, G. banksii R. Br., G. ericifolia R. Br., G. juniperina R. Br., G. lavandulacea Schldl., G. rosmarinifolia Cunn. and G. victoriae F. Muell.
