''Grevillea kirkalocka'' 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 inland Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with divided leaves with sharply-pointed linear lobes and clusters of red flowers.

Description

''Grevillea kirkalocka'' is a low, spreading shrub that typically grows to high and wide and has arching branches. Its leaves are divided, wide and about wide in outline, with three to five leaflets usually divided again, the end lobes linear, long, long and sharply pointed. The flowers are arranged in upper leaf axils or on the ends of branches in branched clusters, each long. The clusters are on a peduncle long, each flower on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long, the flowers red, 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'' ...

about long. Flowering occurs from August to September and the fruit is an egg-shaped follicle long.

Taxonomy

''Grevillea kirkalocka'' was first formally described in 2002 by

Peter M. Olde Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

and Neil R. Marriott in the journal ''

Nuytsia ''Nuytsia floribunda'' is a hemiparasitic tree found in Western Australia. The species is known locally as moodjar and, more recently, the Christmas tree or Western Australian Christmas tree. The display of intensely bright flowers during the ...

'' from specimens collected on Kirkalocka Station in 1995. 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 ...

(''kirkalocka'') refers to the type location, and as a "mark of respect for the proprietors who have a progressive conservation ethic".

Distribution and habitat

This grevillea grows on sandheath and is only known from within of the type location in the

Murchison bioregion The Murchison is an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion located within the Mid West region of Western Australia, Mid West of Western Australia. The bioregion is loosely related to the catchment ar ...

of inland Western Australia.

Conservation status

''Grevillea kirkalocka'' is listed as "

Priority One Prioritization is an action that arranges items or activities in order of importance. Priority may refer specifically to: Law * Priority or right of way on the road, see Traffic § Priority (right of way) ** Priority signs, a traffic sign that ...

" 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 known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5607956

kirkalocka Kirkalocka is a former sheep station in the Mid West region of Western Australia. Location It is located 55 kilometres (35 mi) south-south-west of Mount Magnet, 420 kilometres (260 mi) north east of Perth. The station covers ap ...

Proteales of Australia Flora of Western Australia Plants described in 2002