Going Bush: In Search of Grevillea fuscolutea
Discover how the Australian Seed Bank Partnership has secured seeds from this rare Australian tree species
By Australian Seed Bank Partnership
Western Australian Seed Centre, Kensington, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
Collecting Allocasuarina scleroclada in the Ravensthorpe Ranges Western Australia (2017) by Luke SweedmanAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Location, location, location
With such vast landscapes throughout Australia it is still surprising that some tree species are only found in a single location. Grevillea fuscolutea is one example of this, occurring across a narrow geographic range in the most southern reaches of Western Australia.
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Denmark, Western Australia
An area that boasts a turquoise bay and enticing landmarks of Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool. But we don’t have time to lie on the beach, there’s seeds to collect, so shake the sand off your towel and let’s head for the bush.
Fuzzy, yellow and small
Grevillea fuscolutea is a small tree, reaching only 2 metres tall. Hairs on the branchlets and flowers give the plant a fuzzy appearance. Flat, rounded green leaves contrast with the new red growth. Tiny yellow flowers, half a centimetre long, appear from May to December.
Uncommon
There is no common name for Grevillea fuscolutea but it comes from the Proteaceae family.
Sadly, for this beautiful tree, it is on the critically endangered list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN). Hence the importance of collecting the seeds.
Grevillea fuscolutea habitat (2019) by Andrew CrawfordAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Rare flora
A specimen of Grevillea fuscolutea was first collected here by naturalist William Webb in 1879. Almost 100 years later it was collected again by a Forests Department survey team. Yet no seeds had ever been banked for this species which is declared a rare flora in Western Australia.
When our seed collectors ventured out in 2018, a fuel reduction burn (to remove vegetation to reduce the threat of wildfires) was planned for the area. This meant there was only one possible population from which they could collect in order to guarantee they avoided the impact of fire.
Grevillea fuscolutea (2019) by Andrew CrawfordAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Under fire
To further complicate the situation, part of the target population was burnt a few years earlier. Although the species had come back in good numbers, only a few had reached reproductive maturity and there was a very small amount of harvestable seed.
This meant the actual number of plants that could be collected from was quite low.
Grevillea fuscolutea seed and fruit (2019) by Andrew CrawfordAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Precious seeds
The resulting collection totalled just over 200 seeds, an indication of the challenge of collecting from this species. Once more of the plants reach reproductive maturity and begin producing fruit there will be another chance to collect again in the years to come.
Grevillea fuscolutea seed and fruit (2019) by Andrew CrawfordAustralian Seed Bank Partnership
Banking for the future
The Global Trees Seed Bank Project has resulted in seeds from Grevillea fuscolutea and other threatened tree species from Western Australia being securely stored at the Western Australian Seed Centre (Kensington) and duplicated at the Millennium Seed Bank in the UK.
Learn more
To learn more about the Western Australian Seed Centre (Kensington) you can visit their website.
Stories compiled through a science communication internship at the Australian Seed Bank Partnership with Master of Science Communication student Christine Fernance from the ANU Centre for the Public Awareness of Science.
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