I was fascinated by the look of the Silk oak, even though it’s not actually an oak at all. It’s a big, striking tree from eastern Australia with bright, toothbrush-shaped flowers that glow yellow-orange (and sometimes red).
What’s interesting is how differently it’s viewed around the world—native and at home in Australian rainforests, yet a weed in parts of New South Wales and Victoria, and considered invasive in places like Hawaii and South Africa.
Before aluminium became common, people prized Silk oak timber for window frames because it doesn’t rot easily. Today you might find it in furniture or even guitars, although harvesting is now restricted as natural populations have declined.
Despite all that, the tree still has its admirers. In the UK, it’s even earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
我被銀樺的外形深深吸引，雖然它實際上根本不是橡樹。它是一種來自澳洲東部的高大、引人注目的樹木，開著鮮豔的牙刷狀黃橙色（有時是紅色）的花朵。
有趣的是，世界各地對它的看法截然不同——它是澳大利亞雨林的本土植物，但在新南威爾士州和維多利亞州的部分地區卻被視為雜草，而在夏威夷和南非等地則被認為是入侵物種。
在鋁材普及之前，人們珍惜銀樺，因為它不易腐爛，常用於製作窗框。如今，你或許還能在家俱甚至吉他中看到它的身影，但由於野生族群數量減少，其採伐已受到限制。
儘管如此，這棵樹仍然擁有不少爱慕者。在英國，它甚至獲得了皇家園藝學會頒發的「花園優異獎」。
Notes 筆記
- Silk oak (Grevillea robusta)—also known as southern silky oak, silk oak, silver oak, or Australian silver oak—is not closely related to the true oaks (Quercus).
- Grevillea robusta is a tree and the largest species in its genus. It is native to eastern coastal Australia, where it grows in riverine, subtropical, and dry rainforest environments. It is regarded as a weed in parts of New South Wales and Victoria, as “invasive” in Hawaii, and as an “invader” in South Africa.
- The flowers are arranged in one-sided, toothbrush-like groups, sometimes branched. The carpel (the female part) of each flower has a stalk. The flowers are glabrous and mostly yellowish-orange, or sometimes reddish.
- Before the advent of aluminium, Grevillea robusta timber was widely used for external window joinery because it is resistant to wood rot. It has also been used in the manufacture of furniture, cabinetry, and fences, as well as for the sides and backs of guitars. Owing to declining G. robusta populations, felling has been restricted.
- In the UK, G. robusta has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
- 銀樺與真正的橡樹（Quercus）沒有密切的親緣關係。
- 銀樺是一種喬木，也是其屬中體型最大的物種。它原產於澳洲東部沿海地區，生長於河岸、亞熱帶和乾燥雨林環境。在新南威爾斯和維多利亞的部分地區，它被視為野草；在夏威夷，它被視為「入侵物種」；在南非，它被視為「入侵物種」。中國雲南、四川西南部、廣西、廣東、福建、江西南部、浙江、台灣等省區有栽培。
- 花朵單側排列，形狀像牙刷，有時分枝。每朵花的雌蕊（雌性部分）都有花梗。花朵光滑無毛，多為黃橙色，有時呈紅色。
- 在鋁材出現之前，由於耐腐爛，銀樺木材被廣泛用於製作外窗。它也被用於製造家具、櫥櫃和柵欄，以及吉他的側板和背板。由於銀樺族群數量下降，其砍伐已受到限制。
- 在英國，銀樺獲得了皇家園藝學會頒發的花園優異獎。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Grevillea robusta
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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