Fern-leaf spider flower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fern-leaf spider flower |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Grevillea
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| Species: |
longifolia
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The fern-leaf spider flower, also known as Grevillea longifolia, is a special plant. It belongs to the Proteaceae plant family. You can often find this plant growing in the Sydney basin area of New South Wales, Australia.
You can easily spot Grevillea longifolia by its bright red "toothbrush" shaped flowers. These flowers usually appear in the spring. The plant also has long, narrow leaves with edges that look like saw teeth. It's a popular plant that people can grow in their gardens.
What's in a Name?
A famous botanist named Robert Brown first described Grevillea longifolia in 1830. He found a sample of the plant near the Port Jackson area in Sydney.
The name Grevillea longifolia has a special meaning. It comes from Latin words. Longus means "long," and folium means "leaf." So, the name simply means "long-leaved Grevillea," which describes its long leaves perfectly!
What Does It Look Like?
Grevillea longifolia grows as a shrub. It can be anywhere from 1.5 to 5 meters (about 5 to 16 feet) tall.
Its leaves are long and thin, usually 10 to 22 centimeters (4 to 8.5 inches) long. They are about 1 to 2 centimeters (0.5 to 1 inch) wide. The edges of the leaves are rough and toothed, like a saw.
The flowers appear from July to January, with the most flowers showing up in September. They are shaped like a "toothbrush" and are 4 to 7.5 centimeters (1.5 to 3 inches) long. Each "toothbrush" is made up of many smaller flowers. After the flowers, the plant grows fuzzy seedpods.
Where Does It Grow?
Grevillea longifolia only grows in the Sydney basin area. You can find it especially in the southern parts and on the Woronora Plateau. It grows in places like Heathcote and Royal National Parks. However, it used to grow in areas like Burwood and Carlton but is no longer found there.
This plant likes to grow on Hawkesbury Sandstone and yellow clay soils. It often grows near riverbanks and streams. It prefers shady or partly shady spots in woodlands or forests.
It grows alongside trees like blue-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus agglomerata), Sydney peppermint (E. piperita), smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata), and red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera). You might also see it near shrubs like gymea lily (Doryanthes excelsa) and watergum (Tristania neriifolia).
Growing This Plant
Grevillea longifolia is quite easy to grow in gardens. You can grow new plants from cuttings. This is a good way to grow them because plants can sometimes mix their genes (hybridise), making it hard to know their exact parentage from seeds.
Sometimes, this plant is grown in places like the south of France. There, it is grown for its beautiful leaves. People sometimes mistakenly sell it as G. aspleniifolia, which is a different but similar plant.
See also
- In Spanish: Grevillea longifolia para niños
