Scientific Name : Grevillea banksii R. Br.
Common Name : Scarlet Grevillea, Bank's Grevillea
Chinese Name : 昆士蘭銀樺, 紅花銀樺
Family : PROTEACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origin | Queensland , Australia. |
|---|---|
| Meanings of name | The generic name Grevillea is named after Charles Francis Greville (1749-1809), who participated hardly in the establishment of the Horticultural Society (currently known as the Royal Horticultural Society) in the Britain. The specific epithet banksii is in honour of Joseph Banks (1743-1820), who was the President of the Royal Society. The Chinese common names '昆士蘭' and '紅花' refer to its origin and red blossoms, respectively. |
| Ecology | The flowers and fruit of Scarlet Grevillea are highly attractive to birds and butterflies. However, Scarlet Grevillea will release some phytochemical allelochemicals, which interrupt the activities of soil microorganisms and inhibit the reproduction of local plants, so they are classified as invasive species in Madagascar and other countries. |
| Vitality | Scarlet Grevillea is shade-hardy but still prefers full sun and well-drained soils. |
| Application | In respect of its glamorous blossoms, the tree is widely cultivated in parks and gardens for ornamental purposes. Notably, Scarlet Grevillea is inedible. Its flowers and fruits contain abundant cyanogenic substances which are lethal to animals. |
| Scarlet Grevillea and Grevillea robusta (Silk Oak) | Scarlet Grevillea and Silk Oak are members of Proteaceae. They are excellent ornamental trees in parks and gardens. To distinguish the trees, first, the leaves of Scarlet Grevillea are pinnatiparted, whereas those of Silk Oak are bipinnatipartite. Moreover, the blossoms of Scarlet Grevillea are scarlet, while those of Silk Oak are orange. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen shrub or tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 10 m. |
| Stem | Bark dark brown, longitudinally cracked. Young branchlets covered with silver hairs. |
| Leaves | Simple leaves alternate. Blade pinnatiparted, segments 4-12, linear, adaxially hairy or glabrous, abaxially covered with silver hairs, margin slightly recurved. |
| Flower | Terminal racemes. Flowers scarlet, style protruded. |
| Fruit | Follicles tomentose, turning green to brown when mature. |
| Flowering period | January to June in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | December to February in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website :
https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=7634
Scientific names from other databases :
— Plants of the World Online : Grevillea banksii R.Br.
— GBIF : Grevillea banksii R.Br.