Grevillea epicroca explained

Grevillea epicroca is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern New South Wales. It is a shrub with elliptic to lance-shaped leaves and red, silky-hairy flowers.

Description

Grevillea epicroca is a shrub that typically grows up to high and has branchlets with a few silky hairs. Its leaves are elliptic to lance-shaped, mostly long and wide, the lower surface with a few silky hairs pressed against the surface. The flowers are arranged in small groups near the ends of branchets on a rachis long. The flowers are red and silky-hairy, the style red or pinkish and more or less glabrous, and the pistil long. Flowering mainly occurs from November to May and the fruit is a follicle long.[1] [2] [3]

Taxonomy

Grevillea epicroca was first formally described in 2000 by Val Stajsic and Bill Molyneux in the Flora of Australia from specimens collected by Michael Crisp near Braidwood in 1976.[4] The specific epithet (epicroca) means "a transparent woman's garment", referring to the thin layer of hairs on the lower surface of the leaves.[5]

Distribution and habitat

This grevillea grows in moist forest on steep rocky slopes on the escarpment west of Moruya at altitudes between in south-eastern New South Wales.

Conservation status

Grevillea epicroca is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has a severely restricted distribution and a highly fragmented population, however, the species is not believed to be declining in population, habitat quality, extent of occurrence and area of occupancy and the full number of subpopulations is unknown. There are no known substantial threats to this species and the population is presumed to be largely stable.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Stajsic, Val . Molyneux, William M. . Taxonomic studies in the Grevillea victoriae F.Muell. species complex (Proteaceae: Grevilleoideae) I. Descriptions of nine previously segregated, and three new taxa. . Muelleria . 2005. 22. 41–43.
  2. Web site: Grevillea epicroca . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 8 April 2022.
  3. Web site: Makinson . Robert O. . Grevillea epicroca . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 8 April 2022.
  4. Web site: Grevillea epicroca. APNI. 12 January 2022.
  5. Book: Makinson . Robert O. . Wilson . Annette J.G. . Flora of Australia . 17A . 2000 . Australian Biological Resources Study . Canberra . 502 . 8 April 2022.
  6. Keighery, G. . 2020 . Grevillea epicroca . 2020 . e.T113016585A113309340 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T113016585A113309340.en . 6 January 2024.