Grevillea iaspicula

Location & distribution maps

Common name:         Wee Jasper Grevillea

Conservation status: Critically Endangered

• Grevillea iaspicula is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and under the NSW Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016

• It is also listed as Endangered under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

• It is known only from a population of approximately 200 mature individuals, occurring within small, severely fragmented subpopulations in an estimated extent of occurrence of 67 km2

• Threats include grazing, weeds, fire and drought

• It is believed that survival of the species in the wild is unlikely without human intervention to artificially increase populations

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Etymology:   

• The genus was named in honour of Charles Francis Greville, an 18th-century patron of botany and co-founder of the Royal Horticultural Society

• The specific epithet iaspicula is a Latinised form of Wee Jasper, the area where this species occurs

Flowers:                  

• The branched, pendant inflorescences appear from late autumn to late spring

• The perianths are green or cream coloured, flushed with light pink and the styles are pink or red

Fruit:                         

• The fruit is a hairy follicle

Leaves:         

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• Grevillea iaspicula is a shrub that grows to a height of 1.2–2.5 m and has leaves that are between 20–30 mm long with have recurved margins

Habitat:   

Distribution:                  

Additional notes:   

• Taxonomy

  • Grevillea iaspicula was first formally described in 1986 by Donald McGillivray in his book, New Names in Grevillea (Proteaceae)

  • The type specimen was found on private property in Wee Jasper in 1980

• Ecology

  • The species is believed to be pollinated by birds

• Use in horticulture

  • The species has only been brought in to cultivation in recent times and plants are not yet widely available beyond specialist nurseries

  • It exhibits a number of qualities which make it a suitable candidate for many gardens including adaptability to a range of soil types, responsiveness to pruning, and resistance to heavy frost

  • Plants may be propagated from cuttings

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grevillea_iaspicula (2024)