Other vernacular names:-
BURMESE: Khadaw hmi.
FRENCH: Chene d’Australie, Grevillée robuste.
GERMAN: Australische seideneiche.
HAWAIIAN: Oka-kilika, Haiku-keokeo.
INDONESIAN: Salamander.
JAVANESE: Salamandar.
NDEBELE: Kangiyo.
NEPALI: Kangiyo.
SPANISH: Agravilla, Roble australiano, Helecho, Roble plateado, Grevilea, Roble de seda.
SWAHILI: Mgrivea, Mukima.
TAMIL: Savukkumaram.
THAI: Son-india.
URDU: Bekkar, Bahekar.
VIETNAMESE: Tr[ax]i bam. Tr[ax]l b[af]n, Ng[aa]n hoa.
Botany:-
Grevillea is a deciduous medium-sized tree that grows to 30 meters or taller. Bark is fissured, sometimes pustulate, dark grey to dark brown. Crown is conical and dense, with branches projecting upward. Leaves are alternate, fernlike, pinnate, 11 to 21 pairs of pinnae, 4 to 9 centimeters long, and dark green. Leaflets are lanceolate, with entire or lobed margins. The flowers are yellow to orange, numerous, paired, on long slender stalks 1 to 2 centimeters, with 4 narrow yellow or orange sepals 12 millimeters long. Fruits are podlike, broad, slightly flattened, 2 centimeters long, black, with 1 to 2 seeds, 10 to 13 millimeters long.
Distribution:-
– Native to Australia.
– Exotic to China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
– Recently introduced to the Philippines.
– Grown as shade tree or ornamental for shape and foliage.
Constituents:-
• Study isolated six new 5-alkylresorcinals and eight known compounds.
• Plant yields a small amount of gum resin.
• Leaves contain rutin.
• Intense yellow and green dyes from the leaves.
• Study yielded seven phenolic compounds from the methanolic extract of leaves – Grevirobstol A, B, C and Robustaside A, B, C and D.
• Study isolated three new compounds from the leaves: graviquinone, cis-3-hydroxy-5-pentadecylcyclohexanone , and methyl 5-ethoxy-2-hydroxycinnamate , together with 38 known compounds. (see study below)
• 1-BuOH-soluble fraction of methanol extract of leaves yielded two 5-alkylresorcinol glucosides, named grevillosides G and H , and grevilloside E methyl ester , along with one known megastigmane glucoside, staphylionoside D .
• The 1-Bu-BuOH soluble fractions of a methanol extract of leaves isolated two 5-alkylresorcinol glucosides, named grevillosides G and H, and grevilloside E methyl ester , along with one known megastigmane glucoside, staphylionoside D .
Properties:-
• Flowers rich in vitamin C. Leaves and twigs reported to be high in aluminum.
Uses:-
Edibility
• Flowers are a rich source of nectar which can be directly sucked from the flower, shaken into a bowl or washed out in a small amount of water.
• Aborigines in Australia reported to drink the nectar straight from the flowers.
Folkloric
– No known folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
– In Kenya, natives of the Kakamega Forest use the plant to treat sore throats, earache, chest problems, flu and toothache.
– In North Garo Hills, Meghalaya, NE India, bark and leaves used for headaches and dizziness.
Others
• Dye: Yellow and green dye from the leaves; used for dyeing silk.
• Wood: Used for joinery, cabinetry and panelling. Wood makes a good charcoal.
• Gum or resin: Natural gum has potential as adhesive.
• Ornamental: Grown for its attractive foliage. Leaves used in flower arrangements.
Caution !
• Poison: The flower buds, fruit and seeds are cyanogenic. Contact with leaves may cause contact dermatitis due to tridecylresorcinol, a chemical compound related to the allergen toxicodendron.
• Contatct dermatitis: A report on a case of severe acute dermatitis venenata due to exposure to sawdust of Grevillea robusta.
• Grevillol: Bracelets made from the wood of Grevellia were shown to be a source of allergic contact dermatitis. The responsible allergen was grevillol, a phenolic with a long side chain resembling the sensitizing uroshiols from poison ivy