Banksia laevigata subsp. laevigata

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Tennis ball banksia
Banksia laevigata laevigata.JPG
B. laevigata subsp. laevigata, cult. Banksia Farm
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Banksia
Species:
Subspecies:
B. l. subsp. laevigata
Trinomial name
Banksia laevigata subsp. laevigata

Banksia laevigata subsp. laevigata, the tennis ball banksia, is a subspecies of small woody shrub in the plant genus Banksia . It occurs in Western Australia's semi-arid shrubland. It and the closely related B. laevigata subsp. fuscolutea (golden ball banksia) are the two subspecies of the species Banksia laevigata .

Contents

Taxonomy

The species B. laevigata was first described by Swiss botanist Carl Meissner in 1856, after being originally collected by James Drummond in 1848. No separate subspecies were recognised until Alex George collected specimens of subspecies fuscolutea east of Hyden in 1964, and formally named it two years later. The naming of a new subspecies automatically created the autonym (botany) subspecies laevigata.

The common name is derived from the resemblance of its inflorescences to tennis balls. [1]

George described its nearest probable relative as Banksia audax and placed it in the series Cyrtostylis, which he concedes is rather heterogeneous. The series was split into three in the 1996 morphological cladistic analysis by botanists Kevin Thiele and Pauline Ladiges, with B. laevigata placed in the new series Ochraceae with B. audax and B. benthamiana in their arrangement. [2] This was reinforced in American botanist Austin Mast's 2002 analysis, as B. laevigata came out as sister to three groups; the first the pair comprising B. audax and B. benthamiana. [3]

Early in 2007, Mast and Thiele rearranged the genus Banksia by merging Dryandra into it, and published B. subg. Spathulatae for the taxa having spoon-shaped cotyledons; thus B. subg. Banksia was redefined as encompassing taxa lacking spoon-shaped cotyledons. They foreshadowed publishing a full arrangement once DNA sampling of Dryandra was complete; in the meantime, if Mast and Thiele's nomenclatural changes are taken as an interim arrangement, then B. laevigata subsp. laevigata is placed in B. subg. Banksia. [4]

Description

The tennis ball banksia is a shrub to 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) high with grey, flaky bark. New growth occurs in summer, [5] and the young stems and leaves are covered in fine hairs, which fall away with age. There are 2 variants distinguished by their leaf margins, one along the Fitzgerald River with rather obtuse leaf teeth, the other in the Ravensthorpe Ranges with larger, acute teeth similar to those of subsp. fuscolutea. The former is represented by the type. The inflorescences occur in spring and are oval in shape and a greenish yellow in colour. Flowers appear from October to December. [6]

Distribution and habitat

Banksia laevigata subsp. laevigata grows in shrubland on stony soils of spongolite or laterite, along the lower Fitzgerald River and in the Ravensthorpe Ranges in inland southern Western Australia.

Banksia laevigata subsp. laevigata is classified as Priority Four - Rare on the Declared Rare and Priority Flora List under the Wildlife Conservation Act of Western Australia. [7] That is, it is a taxon which has been adequately surveyed and which, while being rare (in Australia), are not currently threatened by any identifiable factors. It requires monitoring every 5–10 years. [8]

Ecology

Like other banksias, the tennis ball banksia is likely to play host to a variety of pollinators. Ants, bees and wasps have been recorded thus far. [5]

Cultivation

Although like many western banksias it is sensitive to Phytophthora cinnamomi dieback, it has been successfully grown on Australia's east coast. It has also been successfully grafted onto Banksia integrifolia . [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">subg.</span> Banksia</i> Subgenus in the family Proteaceae

Banksia subg. Banksia is a valid botanic name for a subgenus of Banksia. As an autonym, it necessarily contains the type species of Banksia, B. serrata. Within this constraint, however, there have been various circumscriptions.

Banksia oligantha, commonly known as Wagin banksia, is an endangered species in the plant family Proteaceae endemic to south west Western Australia. It belongs to Banksia subg. Isostylis, a subgenus of three closely related Banksia species with dome-shaped heads as inflorescences, rather than characteristic Banksia flower spikes. A shrub or small tree up to 4 m (13 ft) high, it has prickly foliage and pink and cream flowerheads which appear in late Spring.

<i>Banksia attenuata</i> Species of plant in the family Proteaceae found across much of the southwest of Western Australia

Banksia attenuata, commonly known as the candlestick banksia, slender banksia, or biara to the Noongar people, is a species of plant in the family Proteaceae. Commonly a tree, it reaches 10 m (33 ft) high, but it is often a shrub in drier areas 0.4 to 2 m high. It has long, narrow, serrated leaves and bright yellow inflorescences, or flower spikes, held above the foliage, which appear in spring and summer. The flower spikes age to grey and swell with the development of the woody follicles. The candlestick banksia is found across much of the southwest of Western Australia, from north of Kalbarri National Park down to Cape Leeuwin and across to Fitzgerald River National Park.

<i>Banksia caleyi</i> Australian species of shrub, the red lantern banksia

Banksia caleyi, commonly known as Caley's banksia or red lantern banksia, is a species of woody shrub of the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia. It generally grows as a dense shrub up to 2 m (7 ft) tall, has serrated leaves and red, pendent (hanging) inflorescences which are generally hidden in the foliage. First described by Scottish naturalist Robert Brown in 1830, Banksia caleyi was named in honour of the English botanist George Caley. No subspecies are recognised. It is one of three or four related species with hanging inflorescences, which is an unusual feature within the genus.

<i>Banksia lindleyana</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae from Western Australia

Banksia lindleyana, commonly known as the porcupine banksia, is a species of woody shrub in the genus Banksia of the family Proteaceae. It generally grows as a small shrub to 1 m (3 ft) high with long narrow serrated leaves, and bright yellow oval or round inflorescences. Flowering occurs in late summer, after which time the flower spikes age and turn to brown and then grey, and develop up to 70 follicles. It occurs in the vicinity of Kalbarri, Western Australia. Found on sandy soils, the plant serves as a pollinator for a variety of bird and animal species.

<i>Banksia nutans</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae native to the south coast of Western Australia

Banksia nutans, commonly known as nodding banksia, is a species of shrub native to the south coast of Western Australia in the genus Banksia. Growing to a metre (3 ft) tall, it has pale blue-green fine-leaved foliage and unusual purple-brown inflorescences which hang upside down rather than grow upright like most other banksias.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">ser.</span> Abietinae</i> Series in the genus Banksia

Banksia ser. Abietinae is a valid botanic name for a series of Banksia. First published by Carl Meissner in 1856, the name has had three circumscriptions.

<i>Banksia epica</i> Shrub found on the south coast of Western Australia

Banksia epica is a shrub that grows on the south coast of Western Australia. A spreading bush with wedge-shaped serrated leaves and large creamy-yellow flower spikes, it grows up to 3½ metres (11½ ft) high. It is known only from two isolated populations in the remote southeast of the state, near the western edge of the Great Australian Bight. Both populations occur among coastal heath on cliff-top dunes of siliceous sand.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">ser.</span> Salicinae</i> Taxonomic series in the family Proteaceae

Banksia ser. Salicinae is a valid botanic name for a series of Banksia. First published by Carl Meissner in 1856, the name has had three circumscriptions.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">ser.</span> Quercinae</i> Taxonomic series in the family Proteaceae

Banksia ser. Quercinae is a valid botanic name for a series of Banksia. First published by Carl Meissner in 1856, the name has had three circumscriptions.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">ser.</span> Cyrtostylis</i> Taxonomic series in the genus Banksia

Banksia ser. Cyrtostylis is a taxonomic series within the plant genus Banksia. First published at sectional rank by George Bentham in 1870, it was demoted to a series by Alex George in 1981. The name has had three circumscriptions.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">ser.</span> Banksia</i> Autonymous series in the genus Banksia

Banksia ser. Banksia is a valid botanic name for a series of Banksia. As an autonym, it necessarily contains the type species of Banksia, B. serrata. Within this constraint, however, there have been various circumscriptions.

This is a timeline of developments in knowledge and understanding of the Australian plant genus Banksia:

Kevin Thiele and Pauline Ladiges taxonomic arrangement of Banksia, published in 1996, was a novel taxonomic arrangement that was intended to align the taxonomy of Banksia more closely with the phylogeny that they had inferred from their cladistic analysis of the genus. It replaced Alex George's 1981 arrangement, but most aspects were not accepted by George, and it was soon replaced by a 1999 revision of George's arrangement. However some herbaria have continued to follow Thiele and Ladiges on some points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia</span> 1981 and 1996 arrangements of the Australian endemic plant genus Banksia

Alex George's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia was the first modern-day arrangement for that genus. First published in 1981 in the classic monograph The genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae), it superseded the arrangement of George Bentham, which had stood for over a hundred years. It was overturned in 1996 by Kevin Thiele and Pauline Ladiges, but restored by George in 1999. A recent publication by Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele suggests that it will soon be overturned again.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">subser.</span> Longistyles</i> Subseries in the family Proteaceae

Banksia subser. Longistyles is a valid botanic name for a subseries of Banksia. It was published by Kevin Thiele in 1996, but discarded by Alex George in 1999.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">subser.</span> Leptophyllae</i> Subseries in the family Proteaceae

Banksia subser. Leptophyllae is a valid botanic name for a subseries of Banksia. It was published by Kevin Thiele in 1996, but discarded by Alex George in 1999.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">subser.</span> Sphaerocarpae</i> Subseries in the family Proteaceae

Banksia subser. Sphaerocarpae is a valid botanic name for a subseries of Banksia. It was published by Kevin Thiele in 1996, but discarded by Alex George in 1999.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">ser.</span> Ochraceae</i> Taxonomic series in the family Proteaceae

Banksia ser. Ochraceae is a valid botanic name for a taxonomic series within the plant genus Banksia. It was published by Kevin Thiele in 1996, but discarded by Alex George in 1999.

<i>Banksia <span style="font-style:normal;">subser.</span> Banksia</i> Subseries in the family Proteaceae

Banksia subser. Banksia is a valid botanic name for a subseries of Banksia. It was first used by Kevin Thiele in 1996, although as an autonym it is not considered to have been published per se. It was discarded by Alex George in 1999.

References

  1. 1 2 Wrigley, John; Fagg, Murray (1991). Banksias, Waratahs and Grevilleas. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. p. 100. ISBN   978-0-207-17277-9.
  2. Thiele, Kevin; Ladiges, Pauline Y. (1996). "A cladistic analysis of Banksia (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany . 9 (5): 661–733. doi:10.1071/SB9960661.
  3. Mast, Austin R.; Givnish, Thomas J. (2002). "Historical biogeography and the origin of stomatal distributions in Banksia and Dryandra (Proteaceae) based on Their cpDNA phylogeny". American Journal of Botany . 89 (8): 1311–1323. doi: 10.3732/ajb.89.8.1311 . ISSN   0002-9122. PMID   21665734. Archived from the original on 12 June 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  4. Mast, Austin R. & Kevin Thiele (2007). "The transfer of Dryandra R.Br. to Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 20 (1): 63–71. doi:10.1071/SB06016.
  5. 1 2 Taylor, Anne; Hopper, Stephen (1988). The Banksia Atlas (Australian Flora and Fauna Series Number 8). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN   0-644-07124-9.
  6. George, Alex (1999). "Banksia". In Wilson, Annette (ed.). Flora of Australia: Volume 17B: Proteaceae 3: Hakea to Dryandra. CSIRO Publishing / Australian Biological Resources Study. pp. 175–251. ISBN   978-0-643-06454-6.
  7. "Banksia laevigata Meisn. subsp. laevigata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  8. Chapman, Alex (29 February 2008). "Western Australian Flora Conservation Taxa". Florabase: The Western Australian Flora. Como, WA: Dept of Environment and Conservation. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2010.