Grevillea evanescens
In Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens

Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Grevillea
Species:
G. evanescens
Binomial name
Grevillea evanescens
Olde & Marriott[3]

Grevillea evanescens is an endangered species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with oblong to elliptic leaves and clusters of pale to bright red and cream-coloured flowers.

Description

Grevillea evanescens is an erect to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 2–3.5 m (6 ft 7 in – 11 ft 6 in). The leaves are oblong to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, or elliptic, 20–45 mm (0.79–1.77 in) long and 2.5–9 mm (0.098–0.354 in) wide. The upper surface of the leaves is more or less glabrous and the lower surface of young leaves is silky-hairy. The flowers are arranged in downcurved clusters of eight to twelve flowers on a rachis 7–15 mm (0.28–0.59 in) long. The flowers are pale to bright red and cream-coloured with a red, green tipped style, the pistil 26–27 mm (1.0–1.1 in) long. Flowering occurs in winter and spring and the fruit is an oblong follicle 10–11 mm (0.39–0.43 in) long.[4][2]

Taxonomy

Grevillea evanescens was first formally described in 1994 by Peter M. Olde and Neil R. Marriott in The Grevillea Book from specimens collected by Olde near Gingin in 1991.[5] The specific epithet (evanescens) means "disappearing", referring to the hairs on the lower leaf surface.[6]

Distribution and habitat

This grevillea grows in sandy soil in Banksia woodland near Gingin, in the Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic region of south-western Western Australia.[4][2]

Conservation status

Grevillea evanescens is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species[1] and as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions,[2] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.[7]

The species has a severely fragmented range due to habitat clearance for agriculture, housing and road development. It an estimated extent of occurrence of 654km². Both its population and the quality of its habitat are in decline. As it is mainly found along road verges, it is threatened by weed invasion and verge clearance. It is unknown if this species is susceptible to die-back disease caused by the plant pathogen Phytophtora.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Monks, L.; Keighery, G. (2020). "Grevillea evanescens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T113017147A113307971. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T113017147A113307971.en. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Grevillea evanescens". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. ↑ "Grevillea evanescens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Grevillea evanescens". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "Grevillea evanescens". APNI. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  6. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 194. ISBN 9780958034180.
  7. ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
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