Grevillea ramosissima

Grevillea ramosissima is a low, spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.3–1.5 m (1 ft 0 in – 4 ft 11 in) and often forms root suckers. The leaves are 30–80 mm (1.2–3.1 in) long and divided, usually with 3 to 11 lobes that are sometimes divided again, the end lobes more or less triangular to egg-shaped, mostly 3–20 mm (0.12–0.79 in) long and 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) wide and sharply pointed. The edges of the leaves are turned down, and the lower surface is woolly-hairy. The flowers are arranged in conical to cylindrical clusters on a rachis 25–85 mm (0.98–3.35 in) long, the flowers at the base of the cluster opening first. The flowers are cream-coloured to pale yellow, the pistil 3.5–5.3 mm (0.14–0.21 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs in October and November and the fruit is a woolly-hairy follicle 7.5–10 mm (0.30–0.39 in) long.[2][3]

In 1830, Robert Brown described Anadenia caleyi in the supplement to his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen from specimens collected by George Caley in 1804.[4][5] In 1855, Carl Meissner moved Anadenia caleyi to the genus Grevillea but the name Grevillea caleyi had already been used for a different species. Meissner changed the name to Grevillea ramosissima in Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany.[6][7] The specific epithet (ramosissima) means "much-branched".[8]

In 1994, Peter M. Olde and Neil R. Marriott described G. ramosissima subsp. hypargyrea, and the name, and that of the autonym are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

• Grevillea ramosissima subsp. hypargyrea (F.Muell.) Olde & Marriott.[9]
• Grevillea ramosissima Meisn. subsp. ramosissima[10]

Subspecies hypargyrea had previously been known as Grevillea ramosissima var. hypargyrea, first formally described in 1874 by Ferdinand von Mueller in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.[11] It is distinguished from subsp. ramosissima by the straight hairs on the lower surface of the leaves.[12][13][14]

Subspecies ramosissima is distinguished from subsp. hypargyrea by the twisted hairs on the lower surface of the leaves.[12][15][16]

Subspecies hypargyrea is endemic to Victoria, where it is found in a few isolated places near the upper Murray River in the far north of the state, growing in woodland on granite.[13][14]

Subspecies ramosissima is endemic to New South Wales where it occurs on the coast, tablelands and slopes south from near Glen Innes and Tenterfield.[15][16]

Subspecies hypargyrea is listed as "endangered" under the Victorian Government Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.[13][17]

• The Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH) – Occurrence data for Grevillea ramosissima