2 
Botanical description. —Species, G. robusta. —A. Cunn., in R.Br., Prot., Nov. 24. 
A tree sometimes small and slender, sometimes robust and 80 to 100 feet high, the young 
branches hoary or ferruginous-tomentose. 
Leaves. —Pinnate with about eleven to twelve pinnatifid pinnae, the secondary lobes or segments 
entire or again lobed, lanceolate or rarely linear, often above 1 inch long, the margins 
recurved, glabrous above or sprinkled with appressed hairs and obscurely veined; silky 
underneath, the whole leaf 6 to 8 inches long and nearly as broad. 
Racemes.— Secund, 3 to 4 inches long, solitary or several together on very short leafless branches 
on the old wood. 
Pedicels. —Slender, about half inch long, glabrous as well as the rhachis. Corolla glabrous 
outside and in, the tube nearly 3 lines long, scarcely dilated at the base, revolute under the 
ovoid limb. 
Torus.— Slightly oblique. 
Gland. —Prominent, semi-annular. 
Ovary. —Glabrous, stipitate. 
Style. —Long. 
Stigmatic disk. —Somewhat oblique, with a central cone. 
Fruit.— Broad, very oblique, 8 or 9 lines long. 
Seeds. —Winged all round. (B.F1., v. 459.) 
Botanical Name. — Grevillea .—Robert Brown, in his JProdromus Flora 
Novae-Mollandice, dedicates the genus to “ Caroli Prancisci Greville, viri omnibus 
titulis nobilis, rei naturalis Mineralogiee prtecipue et Botanices docti cultoris et 
patroni.” This was the Bight Hon. C. P. Greville, an active patron of botany at 
the beginning of the 19th Century. I have quoted the original dedication, 
because Pritzel and some other authors say the genus was named in honour of 
Robert Kaye Greville, author of well-known works on Cryptogams. Personally, 
I hope the genus will keep the memory green of both good men. Uobusta (Latin), 
strong and firm, in allusion to the size of this species, unusual for a Grevillea. 
Vernacular Name. —Hooker ( Bot. Mag., t. 3184) says: “Prom its deeply 
dissected foliage and the silkiness of the underside, it has obtained the name of 
* Silk Oak ’ among the pine-cutters of Moreton Bay.” When split on the quarter 
this timber shows a handsome oak-like grain, the prefix “silky” being either because 
of the silky underside of the leaves, or on account of the bright appearance of the 
freshly split wood. Hooker’s statement, written in 1832, may be the true 
explanation of why the name was originally applied. On the northern rivers I 
have known it to be called “White Silky Oak” and “Black Silky Oak,” though 
I have not been able to clearly understand the difference. 
Aboriginal Names. —It was formerlly called “ Warra-garria ” by the 
aborigines of the Richmond and Clarence Rivers, and “ Tuggan-tuggan ” by those 
of Southern Queensland (W. Pettigrew), “ Koomkabang ” of those of Bundaberg, 
Queensland (Keys). 
