Flowering mainly occurs from August to December, and the fruit is a glabrous, narrowly oval to elliptic follicle 9–16 mm (0.35–0.63 in) long.

[3][4][5] This species was first formally described in 1794 by James Edward Smith who gave it the name Embothrium sericeum in his book, A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland.

[6][7] In 1810, Robert Brown transferred it into Grevillea as G. sericea in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London.

[8] In 1994, Peter M. Olde and Neil R. Marriott described two subspecies of G. sericea in The Grevillea Book, and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census: Pink spider flower is widespread in New South Wales, and grows in woodland and open forest from near Toronto and Wyee south to near Heathcote, and inland to near Mudgee.

[4][13][14] Subspecies riparia has a more restricted distribution, growing near permanent streams mainly near the escarpment of the Blue Mountains, along the Grose and Colo Rivers and Glenbrook Creek.