56/70 D007 Australian Flora--Gre

Grevillea is the largest genusof Proteaceae family. There are over 300 species in the genus, mostly confined to Australia but a few species occur overseas. Like its close relatives Banksia and Hakea in its family, Grevillea differentiates greatly in size, shape and color. It is named after Charles Francis Greville who was one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1804.

Despite the apparently different appearances, their flowers are arranged in three basic forms which are shown in the following pictures: spider(flowers are arranged in a spherical ball), toothbrush(flowers are grouped together in a one-sided flower head), and brush(or bottlebrush)(flowers are arranged into a cylindrical brush). Their flower heads are composed of many small flowers (like Banksia). They appear in various colors, with many species displaying a combination of colors. Their nectar-rich large flowers all year round, making them a great source of food for wildlife as well as a lovely garden feature.

the 'spider flower' arrangement the toothbrush flower arrangement the brush flower arrangement