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Silk oak (Grevillea robusta)

Dlium Silk oak (Grevillea robusta)

Silk oak (Grevillea robusta) is a species of plant in the Proteaceae, a large, fast-growing evergreen tree with one main trunk, 5-40 m tall, bark dark gray and wrinkled, grows in tropical mountains, rainforests subtropical, dry and wet rainforests.

G. robusta has fern-like leaves, 10-34 cm long, 9-15 cm wide and is divided between 11-31 major lobes and each lobe is sometimes further divided into 4 minor lobes, each linear to narrow triangular. The tree will lose a lot of leaves before flowering.



Flowers arranged on one side and sometimes branched with a length of 12-15 cm. The carpel of each flower has a stalk 21-28 mm long. Flowers are bare and mostly yellowish orange or reddish. Flowering in September-November and the following fruit are bald follicles.

Silk oak loves full sun and is drought tolerant. Flowers and fruit contain toxic hydrogen cyanide. Wood is widely used for joints outside windows, furniture, cabinets, fences, musical instruments and shade in plantations.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Subfamily: Grevilleoideae
Tribe: Embothrieae
Subtribe: Hakeinae
Genus: Grevillea R.Br. ex Knight in Cult. Prot.: 120 (1809)
Species: Grevillea robusta A.Cunn. ex R.Br. in Suppl. Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl.: 24 (1830)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Hakea robusta (A.Cunn. ex R.Br.) Christenh. & M.W.Chase in Global Fl. 4: 89 (2018)
Stylurus robustus (A.Cunn. ex R.Br.) O.Deg. in Fl. Hawaiiensis 98: [s.p.] (1932)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Grevillea robusta var. compacta R.H.Pearson in Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 49: 376 (1911)
Grevillea robusta var. forsteri L.H.Bailey in Stand. Cycl. Hort. 2: 1412 (1914)
Grevillea umbratica A.Cunn. ex Meisn. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 381 (1856)
Grevillea venusta A.Cunn. ex Meisn. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 381 (1856)

PUBLICATIONS

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.

Balkrishna, A. (2018). Flora of Morni Hills (Research & Possibilities): 1-581. Divya Yoga Mandir Trust.

Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.

Berendsohn, W.G., Gruber, A.K. & Monterrosa Salomón, J. (2012). Nova Silva Cusatlantica. Árboles natinos e introducidos de El Salvador. Parte 2: Angiospermae - Familias M a P y Pteridophyta. Englera 29-2: 1-300.

Bosser, J., Cadet, T., Guého, J. & Marais, W. (1982). Flore des Mascareignes 153-160: 1. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.

Brummitt, R.K. & Marner, S.K. (1993). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Proteaceae: 1-30.

Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2013). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 5: 1-451. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.

Edwards, S., Tadesse, M., Demissew, S. & Hedberg, I. (eds.) (2000). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 2(1): 1-532. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.

Exell, A.W. (1973). Angiosperms of the islands of the gulf of Guinea (Fernando Po, Príncipe, S.Tomé, and Annobon). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Botany 4: 325-411.

Figueiredo, E., Paiva, J., Stévart, T., Oliveira, F. & Smith, G.F. (2011). Annotated catalogue of the flowering plants of São Tomé and Príncipe. Bothalia, A Journal of Botanical Research 41: 41-82.

Fischer, E., Rembold, K., Althof, A. & Obholzer, J. (2010). Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Kakamega forest, Western province, Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 99: 129-226.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2021). Flora of North America North of Mexico 10: 1-456. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

GBIF (2008-2020). Global Biodiversity Information Facility http://www.gbif.org.

Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS Genera starting with letter G: 1-40325.

Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera, C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2014). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica 7: 1-840. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Hancock, I.R. & Henderson, C.P. (1988). Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin Dodo Creek Research Station 7: 1-203.

Hansen, A. & Sunding, P. (1993). Flora of Macaronesia. Checklist of vascular plants. 4. revised edition. Sommerfeltia 17: 1-295.

Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Jones, M. (1991). A checklist of Gambian plants: 1-33. Michael Jones, The Gambia College.

Jørgensen, P.M. & León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999). Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75: i-viii, 1-1181. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.

Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.

Lê, T.C. (2005). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 3: 1-1248. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Nasir, E. & Ali, S.I. (eds.) (1970-1995). Flora of West Pakistan 1-131.

Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.

Orchard, A.E. (ed.) (1994). Oceanic Islands 1. Flora of Australia 49: 1-681. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Pope, G.V., Polhill, R.M. & Martins, E.S. (eds.) (2006). Flora Zambesiaca 9(3): 1-277. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Robyns, W. & al. (eds.) (1948-1963). Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi 1-10.

Sarmah, K.K. & Borthakur, S.K. (2009). A checklist of angiospermic plants of Manas national park in Assam, India. Pleione 3: 190-200.

Sauerbier, H., Cabrera Calixto, F. & Muer, T. (2023). Flora Vascular de Canarias: 1-1514. Turquesa.

Wagner, W.L., Herbst, D.R. & Sohmer, S.H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, rev. ed., 2: 989-1918. University of Hawai'i Press, Bishop Museum Press.

Zizka, G. (1991). Flowering plants of Easter island. Palmarum Hortus Francofurtensis 3: 1-108.

Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.

VERNACULAR NAME

Afrikaans: Australiese silwer, Australiese silwereik
Australia: Silky oak
Bengali: রূপসী Rupasi
Burmese: ခါးတော်မှီ Khadaw hmi
Chinese (simplified): 银桦
Chinese (traditional): 銀樺
Czech: Grevilea obrovská
Danish: Bregnetræ
English: Silk oak, Australian silky oak, Australian silver oak, Silky oak, Silky-oak, Silver oak, Southern silky oak
Estonian: Tugev grevillea
Finnish: Kultasilkkipuu
French: Chêne soyeux
Guangdong: 銀樺
Hebrew: גרווילאה חסונה
Hong Kong: 銀樺
Indonesia: Pohon perak
Japanese: キヌガシワ - シノブノキ - ハゴロモノキ
Java: Godong perak
Macao: 銀樺
Manipuri: Koubila
Portuguese: Grevílea-robusta
Russian: Гревиллея крупная
Slovak: Grevilea mohutná
Southern Africa: Silky Oak
Spanish: Roble australiano
Sweden: Silvergrevillea
Taiwan: 銀樺
Tamil: சவுக்கு-மரம் Savukku-maram
Thai: ลูกชายชาวอินเดีย Son india
Turkish: Dev Greville

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium
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Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2023 at 2:34 PM

    Is this tree toxic to humans with extended exposure to leaves and flowers

    ReplyDelete

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