About Grevillea eriostachya Lindl.
Grevillea eriostachya (common name flame grevillea) is a shrub that typically reaches a height of 1 to 3 metres. It has a leafy base and long, arching flowering branches covered in woolly hairs. Its leaves measure 50 to 300 millimetres in length. Leaves on flowering stems are linear, while other leaves sometimes have two to seven linear lobes. Most leaves and their lobes are 1 to 2 millimetres wide. Flowers grow above the foliage in sometimes branched, con-shaped clusters, holding between 100 and 200 flowers per cluster. These clusters grow on stalks called peduncles that can be up to 400 millimetres long, with a central rachis between 75 and 200 millimetres long. Flowers at the base of each cluster open first. When in bud, the flowers are green; they become bright yellow and woolly-hairy when open. The pistil of each flower is 14.5 to 22 millimetres long. This species can flower in any month of the year. Its fruit is a follicle that is 15 to 22 millimetres long. Flame grevillea grows in heath or shrubland on sandplains. It is widespread across arid and semi-arid regions, occurring in Western Australia, the south-west of the Northern Territory, and the far north-west of South Australia. Nectar-eating birds are attracted to the flowers and act as pollinators for this species. After fire events, the species regenerates from a lignotuber in the eastern part of its range within the Eremaean province, while it is an obligate seeder in the western part of its distribution. Aboriginal Australians used this shrub’s flowers as a sweetener and to add variety to their meals, because the flowers have a sweet taste.
