A tall tree to 20 m or more with a single main trunk and narrow, conical head, often shedding branches to become uneven in growth; partly deciduous in cool areas. Leaves fern-like, deeply and variously divided,mostly 20-30 cm long,10-15 cm wide with 11-31 divisions, sometimes divided again several times, silky-hairy below. Leaf stalk red-hairy. Flower clusters 10-15 cm long, erect, sometimes branched,1-sided. Flowers bright orange-yellow; Oct-Nov. Style orange-yellow. Fruit a woody follicle, 1-2 cm long, with a curved persistent style at the tip.

Grows naturally in coastal gullies and forests from N NSWto Atherton Tableland in Qld. The timber is used for cabinet work.

NSW, Qld.

VIC: Armadale (Orrong Park); Burnley (College, ptd c. 1891, 20 m tall in 1989); Caulfield (Park); Geelong (Bot. Gds); Hawthorn (Central Gds); Kew (Alexandra Gds); Mildura (Deakin Ave, Memorial Gds); Richmond (Barkly Gds).

Source: Spencer, R.; Molyneux, B.; Mathews, D. (2002). Proteaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.