''Grevillea hystrix'', also known as porcupine grevillea, is a species of plant in the Proteaceae family that is endemic to Western Australia.

History and etymology

The species was first collected in 2013 by William Muir, recognised as a new taxon at the Western Australian Herbarium in 2014, and formally described by Robert Davis in 2020. 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 ...

''hystrix'' is Latin for “porcupine”, with reference to the spiny leaves.

Description

The species grows as a low, prickly shrub to 40–60 cm in height by 30–100 cm across. The sharply pointed leaves are 5–8 mm long by 0.8–1 mm wide. The conflorescent flowers are predominantly red, appearing from late August to early October.

Distribution and habitat

The species is known only from a single population of about 20 plants, east of the mining town of Koolyanobbing, in the Coolgardie bioregion of

Southwest Australia Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna. The region is also known as the Southwest Aus ...

. It occurs in sandplain country in low open

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

on yellow clayey-sandy soils. Despite extensive surveys in the area, the species has not been recorded elsewhere.

Conservation status

''Grevillea hystrix'' is listed as " Priority One" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, meaning it is known from only a few populations which are under immediate threat from known threatening processes. The species is known only from a single population consisting of approximately 20 plants, many of which appear to be senescing or dying. Some of these plants appear to have new shoots growing from older stems.

References

hystrix Proteales of Australia Endemic flora of Australia Flora of Western Australia Plants described in 2020 {{Australia-eudicot-stub