''Grevillea asparagoides'' is a species of flowering plant in the family

Proteaceae The Proteaceae form a family of flowering plants predominantly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises 83 genera with about 1,660 known species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae, they make up the order Pro ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the south-west of Western Australia. It is dense, prickly shrub with deeply divided leaves, the end lobes linear and sharply pointed, and pink to reddish flowers with red styles.

Description

''Grevillea asparagoides'' is a dense, prickly shrub that typically grows to a height of and has hairy branchlets. Its leaves are long and have three to five lobes, each usually further divided, the end lobes linear or awl-shaped, sharply-pointed, long and wide with the edges rolled under. The flowers are arranged along a rachis long, and are pink to reddish-pink with a red style. The

pistil Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

is long with a sac-like

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepals when ...

. Flowering occurs from July to December and the fruit is a follicle long.

Taxonomy

''Grevillea asparagoides'' was first formally described in 1856 by botanist Carl Meissner in de Candolle's ''

Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis ''Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis'' (1824–1873), also known by its standard botanical abbreviation ''Prodr. (DC.)'', is a 17-volume treatise on botany initiated by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. De Candolle intended it as a summa ...

'' from specimens collected by James Drummond in the

Swan River Colony The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement, or just Swan River, was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. This initial settlement place on the Swan River was soon named Perth, and it ...

. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''asparagoides'') is derived from a passing resemblance of the foliage to that of asparagus.

Distribution and habitat

This grevillea grows in heathland and shrubland in scattered populations between Perenjori,

Wongan Hills Wongan Hills is a range of low flat-topped hills in the Avon Wheatbelt bioregion of Western Australia. It is located at , in the Shire of Wongan–Ballidu. History The range was first recorded in 1836 by Surveyor General of Western Australia Jo ...

and Bindi Bindi in the Avon Wheatbelt biogeographic region.

Conservation status

''Grevillea asparagoides'' is listed as "Critically Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This is due to a decline of at least 80% over the past 60 years (or 2 generational lengths for the species) caused by land clearing for agricultural purposes, road development and weed invasion. These threats are ongoing and the population of the species is still in decline. It is also listed as " Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) is the Western Australian government The Government of Western Australia, formally referred to as His Majesty's Government of Western Australia, is the Australian state de ...

, meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.

Use in horticulture

This species requires a well-drained soil and full sun. Propagation is from cuttings; grafting on the east coast of Australia may be required to ensure greater reliability.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2710036 asparagoides Endemic flora of Western Australia Eudicots of Western Australia Proteales of Australia Taxa named by Carl Meissner Plants described in 1856