Persoonia falcata

Geebung

Proteaceae

Form and Size: A slender shrub or small tree, 3-5m high.

Distribution: Across northern tropical Australia, in both coastal and inland areas, often in sandy soils.

Leaves: Narrow, oval, smooth, leathery, usually sickle-shaped, dull green or blue-green, mid-rib distinct, 10-20cm x 0.5-2.5cm; new growth finely hairy.

Bark: Dark grey, furrowed.

Flowers: Yellow, tubular, 1-1.5cm long; borne in dense terminal racemes 5-6cm long, or singly in the axils beneath the racemes.

Flowering Period: June to September.

Fruit: Egg-shaped, green-yellow, tip beaked, smooth, fleshy, 1.5-2cm x 0.8-1.0cm; a single seed.

Distinctive Features: Superficially somewhat similar to Grevillea parallela and G. striata, but the leaves do not have the prominent parallel veins of these species.

Cultivation/Notes: Propagate from seed (difficult) or root cuttings. The fruit were eaten by Aborigines and other parts of the plant were used for various medicinal purposes.