Grevillea buxifolia

Grevillea buxifolia is an erect to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of {{cvt|0.5–2|m}}. The leaves are egg-shaped, narrowly oblong to elliptic, {{cvt|7–35|mm}} long and {{cvt|2.0–8.5|mm}} wide with the edges turned down or rolled under. The flowers are arranged in clusters on the ends of branchlets and are covered with woolly, rust-coloured to fawn and whitish hairs, the pistil {{cvt|11–21|mm}} long. Flowering mainly occurs from spring to autumn and the fruit is a usually hairy, oval follicle {{cvt|18–22|mm}} long.{{cite web |last1=Makinson |first1=Robert O. |title=Grevillea buxifolia |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Grevillea%20buxifolia |publisher=Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra |access-date=2 February 2022}}

This species was first formally described in 1794 by James Edward Smith who gave it the name Embothrium boxifolium in his A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland.{{cite web|title=Embothrium buxifolium|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/543621 |publisher=APNI|access-date=2 February 2022}}{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=James Edward |title=A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland |date=1794 |pages=29–30 |url=https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/viewer/13806/?offset=#page=47&viewer=picture&o=bookmark&n=0&q= |access-date=2 February 2022}} In 1810, Robert Brown changed the name to Grevillea buxifolia in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London.{{cite web|title=Grevillea buxifolia|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/540089 |publisher=APNI|access-date=2 February 2022}} The specific epithet (buxifolia) means "box-tree-leaved".{{cite book |last1=Sharr |first1=Francis Aubi |last2=George |first2=Alex |title=Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings |date=2019 |publisher=Four Gables Press |location=Kardinya, WA |isbn=9780958034180 |page=153 |edition=3rd}}

The names of two subspecies of G. buxifolia are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

• Grevillea buxifolia (Sm.) R.Br. subsp. buxifolia{{cite web|title=Grevillea buxifolia subsp. buxifolia|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/108971|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date= 2 February 2022}} has a conspicuous appendage usually {{cvt|2–4|mm}} long on the style;{{cite web |last1=Makinson |first1=Robert O. |title=Grevillea buxifolia subsp. buxifolia |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Grevillea~buxifolia~subsp.+buxifolia |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |access-date=2 February 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Makinson |first1=Robert O. |title=Grevillea buxifolia subsp. buxifolia |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Grevillea%20buxifolia%20subsp.%20buxifolia |publisher=Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra |access-date=2 February 2022}}
• Grevillea buxifolia subsp. ecorniculata Olde & Marriott{{cite web|title=Grevillea buxifolia subsp. ecorniculata|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/141544|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date= 2 February 2022}} usually lacks a style appendage, but if present, it is less than {{cvt|1.3|mm}} long.{{cite web |last1=Makinson |first1=Robert O. |title=Grevillea buxifolia subsp. ecorniculata |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Grevillea~buxifolia~subsp.+ecorniculata |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |access-date=2 February 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Makinson |first1=Robert O. |title=Grevillea buxifolia subsp. ecorniculata |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Grevillea%20buxifolia%20subsp.%20ecorniculata |publisher=Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra |access-date=2 February 2022}}

Grey spider flower grows in woodland or heath in New South Wales, on the South Coast, Central Coast and inland to near Pigeon House Mountain west of Ulladulla.{{cite web |last1=Wood |first1=Betty |title=Grevillea buxifolia subsp. buxifolia |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/plants_se_nsw/text/entities/grevillea_buxifolia_subsp._buxifolia.htm |publisher=Lucid Keys |access-date=2 February 2022}} Subspecies ecorniculata is restricted to the area between Putty, Gospers Mountain and Wollombi north-west of Sydney.

Despite its relatively limited distribution, Grevillea buxifolia is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, as it is locally common, its population is presumed to be stable, it occurs within protected areas and there are no major threats currently affecting it. The main threat to this species is inappropriate fire regimes, meaning an increased frequency in bushfires.{{cite iucn |author=Ford, A. |year=2020 |title=Grevillea buxifolia |volume=2020 |page=e.T112648471A113309250 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T112648471A113309250.en |access-date=21 December 2023}}

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{{Wikisource|A_specimen_of_the_botany_of_New_Holland/Embothrium_buxifolium|Grevillea buxifolia (Embothrium buxifolium)}}

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buxifolia

Category:Plants described in 1794

Category:Proteales of Australia

Category:Flora of New South Wales

Category:Taxa named by James Edward Smith