Grevillea aspleniifolia

Grevillea aspleniifolia, also known as fern leaf grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales. It is a spreading shrub with linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves and purplish flowers.

Description
Grevillea aspleniifolia is a spreading shrub that typically grows to 1–5 m high and up to 5 m wide. The leaves are linear to narrowly egg-shaped, 150–250 mm long and 3–15 mm wide with irregular serrations and a woolly-hairy lower surface, the edges turned down or rolled under. The flowers are arranged in toothbrush-like racemes along a rachis usually 30–50 mm long, and are purplish with grey or white hairs. The pistil is mostly 15–25 mm long and the style has a green tip. Flowering mainly occurs from July to November and the fruits is a hairy follicle 11–12 mm long.

Taxonomy
Grevillea aspleniifolia was first formally described in 1809 by Joseph Knight in On the cultivation of the plants belonging to the natural order of Proteeae. The specific epithet (aspleniifolia) means Asplenium''-leaved".

Distribution and habitat
This grevillea grows in woodland on sandstone or shale in the catchments of the Warragamba Dam and Woronora River, and near Bungonia Caves, in eastern New South Wales.

Use in horticulture
Grevillea aspleniifolia is reported to be a hardy, fast-growing plant that tolerates heavy soil as long as the soil is well-drained. A sunny position is preferred.

Conservation status
This species is listed as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has a restricted distribution and a naturally severely fragmented population, where it occurs in several small, isolated subpopulations. Threats to this species include damage and/or grazing by introduced deer and changed fire regimes.