Banksia media

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Southern plains banksia
B media3 keilor bg.jpg
Inflorescences of Banksia media at the Keilor Botanic Gardens.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Banksia
Species:
B. media
Binomial name
Banksia media
Synonyms

Sirmuellera media(R.Br.) Kuntze

Banksia media, the southern plains banksia or golden stalk banksia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae. An evergreen shrub, it occurs on the south coast of Western Australia between Albany and Israelite Bay, where it is a common plant. A many-branched bush with wedge-shaped serrated leaves and large golden-yellow flower spikes, known as inflorescences, it grows up to 10 metres (30 ft) high.

Contents

These plants are killed by bushfire, and regenerate from seed. The flowers attract nectar- and insect-feeding birds, particularly honeyeaters, and a variety of insects. In cultivation, Banksia media grows well in a sunny location on well-drained soil in areas with dry summers. It is more resilient than most Western Australian banksias when cultivated in areas with humid summers.

Description

Banksia media grows as a many-stemmed shrub generally to around 4 m (13 ft) high, [1] though specimens up to 10 m (30 ft) high and 6 m (20 ft) wide have been recorded. The trunk can reach 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. Conversely, some coastal populations such as at Point Ann have plants with a prostrate habit with the flower spikes towering above the foliage. Unlike many banksias, it does not have a lignotuber. [2] It has grey, fissured bark, and hairy stems, [2] putting on new growth in summer. [1] Alternately arranged along the stems, the dark green, wedge-shaped leaves are 4 to 12 cm (1.8–4.2 in) long and 0.7 to 2 cm (0.3–0.8 in) wide with serrated margins. [3] Leaf dimensions vary in different populations: plants from the western and coastal parts of its range have shorter and broader leaves—4 to 6 cm by 1 to 2 cm, while inland plants from around Mt Charles and Mt Ragged have longer and narrower leaves and less revolute leaf margins. [2]

Flowering takes place mainly from March to August, though occasional flower spikes may appear till December. The cylindrical spikes arise on the ends of short lateral branchlets off three- or five-year-old stems and are generally 6 to 16 cm high and 7 to 8 cm (~3 in) wide at anthesis. [2] One population at Mt Ridley has spikes often reaching 26 cm high. [1] Known as an inflorescence, each is a compound flowering structure, with a large number of individual flowers arising out of a central woody axis. [2]

Prostrate form with flower spikes rising above foliage, Kings Park, Perth Banksia media prostrate form.jpg
Prostrate form with flower spikes rising above foliage, Kings Park, Perth

Taxonomy

Robert Brown described Banksia media in his 1830 supplement to his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen , the type specimen having been collected between Cape Arid and Lucky Bay by collector William Baxter in 1824. [4]

George Bentham published a thorough revision of Banksia in his landmark publication Flora Australiensis in 1870. In Bentham's arrangement, the number of recognised Banksia species was reduced from 60 to 46. Bentham defined four sections based on leaf, style and pollen-presenter characters. Banksia media was placed in section Cyrtostylis. [5]

In 1891, Otto Kuntze, in his Revisio Generum Plantarum , rejected the generic name Banksia L.f., on the grounds that the name Banksia had previously been published in 1776 as Banksia J.R.Forst & G.Forst, referring to the genus now known as Pimelea . Kuntze proposed Sirmuellera as an alternative, referring to this species as Sirmuellera media. [6] This application of the principle of priority was largely ignored by Kuntze's contemporaries, [7] and Banksia L.f. was formally conserved and Sirmuellera rejected in 1940. [8]

Infrageneric placement

flower spike in late bud before anthesis Banksia media maranoa email.jpg
flower spike in late bud before anthesis

George placed B. media in B. subg. Banksia, because its inflorescences are typical Banksia flower spikes; B. sect. Banksia because of its straight styles; and B. ser. Cyrtostylis because it has slender flowers. [2] He considered its closest relatives to be B. praemorsa (cut-leaf banksia) and, after its discovery, B. epica. [9]

In 1996, Kevin Thiele and Pauline Ladiges published the results of a cladistic analysis of morphological characters of Banksia. They retained George's subgenera and many of his series, but discarded his sections. George's B. ser. Cyrtostylis was found to be "widely polyphyletic", as six of the fourteen taxa in that series occurred singly in locations throughout Thiele and Ladiges' cladogram. The remaining eight formed a clade that further resolved into two subclades, with B. media appeared in one of them, alongside praemorsa, epica and pilostylis: [10]

Since 1998, Austin Mast has been publishing results of ongoing cladistic analyses of DNA sequence data for the subtribe Banksiinae. His analyses suggest a phylogeny that is rather different from previous taxonomic arrangements. With respect to B. media, however, Mast's results accord closely with the arrangement of Thiele and Ladiges, placing it in a polytomous clade corresponding exactly with Thiele and Ladiges' B. ser. Cyrtostylis. [11] [12] [13]

Early in 2007 Mast and Thiele initiated a rearrangement by transferring Dryandra to Banksia, and publishing B. subg. Spathulatae for the species having spoon-shaped cotyledons; in this way they also redefined the autonym B. subg. Banksia. 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. media is placed in B. subg. Banksia. [14]

Distribution and habitat

Banksia media is widely distributed across southern Western Australia, from the eastern border of Stirling Range National Park across to Israelite Bay and extending northwards to Pingrup, Frank Hann National Park, 15 km east northeast of Dowak and 35 km northwest of Mt Buraminya. A disjunct population occurs further east along the coast at Point Culver and Toolinna. Often locally abundant, it grows in a variety of soil types, [1] most commonly white sand or a sandy loam, but also red clay, loam over limestone, shale or granitic soil. The habitat is heathland, shrubland or open woodland. [2]

Ecology

Banksia media is killed by bushfire and regenerates from seed. Plants in the Fitzgerald River National Park take around ten years to flower and set seed after germination, where fires are generally 30 to 60 years apart. [15]

The prominent and colourful flower spikes indicate they are attractive to vertebrate pollinators, and they are visited by a variety of species, including honey possums and a number of honeyeaters, [15] including the New Holland honeyeater, white-cheeked honeyeater, [15] red wattlebird and western spinebill. [1] Insects include the meat ant and European honeybee. [1] A field study excluding pollinators showed that the spikes can set fruit without pollinators, indicating they have a degree of self-compatibility. [15]

Cultivation

Banksia media has been shown to have a relatively low susceptibility to dieback from the soil-borne water mould Phytophthora cinnamomi , unlike many Western Australian banksias. [16] Seeds do not require any treatment, and take 20 to 46 days to germinate. [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Banksia petiolaris</i> Flowering plant of the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia

Banksia petiolaris is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia, where it is found in sandy soils in the south coastal regions from Munglinup east to Israelite Bay. It was first described by Victorian state botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1864, and no subspecies are recognised. B. petiolaris is one of several closely related species that will all grow as prostrate shrubs, with horizontal stems and thick, leathery upright leaves. Those of this species can be viable for up to 13 years—the longest-lived of any flowering plant recorded. It bears yellow cylindrical flower spikes, known as inflorescences, up to 16 cm high in spring. As the spikes age, they turn grey and develop up to 20 woody seed pods, known as follicles, each.

<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 sceptrum</i> Flowering shrub in the family Proteaceae from Western Australia

Banksia sceptrum, commonly known as the sceptre banksia, is a plant that grows in Western Australia near the central west coast from Geraldton north through Kalbarri to Hamelin Pool. It extends inland almost to Mullewa. First collected and grown by early settler James Drummond in Western Australia, it was described by Swiss botanist Carl Meissner in 1855.

Taxonomy of <i>Banksia</i> Classification of the plant genus Banksia

As with other flowering plants, the taxonomy of Banksia has traditionally been based on anatomical and morphological properties of the Banksia flower, fruiting structure and seed, along with secondary characteristics such as leaf structure and growth habit. Increasingly, molecular evidence from DNA is providing important new insights into relationships within the genus and between this and other genera in the Proteaceae.

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

Banksia burdettii, commonly known as Burdett's banksia, is a species of shrub or tree of the genus Banksia in the family Proteaceae. It occurs on sandplain country north of Gingin, Western Australia. Growing to 4 m (13 ft) in height, it has long serrated leaves and large, bright flower spikes, initially white before opening to a bright orange, that appear mainly in late summer. Edmund Gilbert Baker described B. burdettii in 1934, naming it after its collector, W. Burdett.

<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 dryandroides</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae from the south coast of Western Australia

Banksia dryandroides, the dryandra-leaved banksia, is a species of small shrub in the plant genus Banksia. The Noongar peoples know the tree as manyat. It occurs in shrubland, woodland and kwongan on the south coast of Western Australia between Narrikup and Beaufort Inlet. The species is placed alone in series B. ser. Dryandroideae.

<i>Banksia elegans</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Banksia elegans, commonly known as the elegant banksia, is a species of woody shrub that is endemic to a relatively small area of Western Australia. Reaching 4 m (13 ft) high, it is a suckering shrub that rarely reproduces by seed. The round to oval yellow flower spikes appear in spring and summer. Swiss botanist Carl Meissner described Banksia elegans in 1856. It is most closely related to the three species in the subgenus Isostylis.

<i>Banksia hookeriana</i> Species of shrub in the genus Banksia native to Western Australia

Banksia hookeriana, commonly known as Hooker's banksia, is a species of shrub of the genus Banksia in the family Proteaceae. It is native to the southwest of Western Australia and can reach up to 4 m (13 ft) high and 3 m (9.8 ft) wide. This species has long narrow serrated leaves and large, bright flower spikes, initially white before opening to a bright orange that appear over the cooler months. The flowers are pollinated by honeyeaters. The ageing flower spikes develop woody seed pods known as follicles. B. hookeriana is serotinous — large numbers of seeds are stored in the plant canopy for years until the plants are burnt by bushfire.

<i>Banksia lemanniana</i> Shrub of the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia

Banksia lemanniana, the yellow lantern banksia or Lemann's banksia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, native to Western Australia. It generally grows as an open woody shrub or small tree to 5 m (16 ft) high, with stiff serrated leaves and unusual hanging inflorescences. Flowering occurs over summer, the greenish buds developing into oval flower spikes before turning grey and developing the characteristic large woody follicles. It occurs within and just east of the Fitzgerald River National Park on the southern coast of the state. B. lemanniana is killed by bushfire and regenerates from seed.

<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 praemorsa</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae native to Western Australia

Banksia praemorsa, commonly known as the cut-leaf banksia, is a species of shrub or tree in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs in a few isolated populations on the south coast of Western Australia between Albany and Cape Riche.

<i>Banksia speciosa</i> Large shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae found on the south coast of Western Australia

Banksia speciosa, commonly known as the showy banksia, is a species of large shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae. It is found on the south coast of Western Australia between Hopetoun (33°57′ S) and the Great Australian Bight, growing on white or grey sand in shrubland. Reaching up to 8 m (26 ft) in height, it is a single-stemmed plant that has thin leaves with prominent triangular "teeth" along each margin, which are 20–45 cm (7.9–17.7 in) long and 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) wide. The prominent cream-yellow flower spikes known as inflorescences appear throughout the year. As they age they develop up to 20 follicles each that store seeds until opened by fire. Though widely occurring, the species is highly sensitive to dieback and large populations of plants have succumbed to the disease.

<i>Banksia victoriae</i> Species of shrub or tree in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Banksia victoriae, commonly known as Woolly Orange Banksia, is a species of large shrub or small tree in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs in Western Australia between Northampton, Western Australia and Kalbarri, with the occasional plant further north as far as Zuytdorp Nature Reserve.

<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.

Georges taxonomic arrangement of Banksia 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 spinulosa <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> collina</i> Variety of shrub in the family Proteaceae from the east coast of Australia

Banksia spinulosa var. collina is a shrub that grows along the east coast of Australia, in Queensland and New South Wales. Commonly known as Hill Banksia or Golden Candlesticks, it is a taxonomic variety of B. spinulosa. It is a popular garden plant widely sold in nurseries.

<i>Banksia spinulosa <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> spinulosa</i> Variety of shrub in the family Proteaceae from the east coast of Australia

Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa is a shrub that grows along the east coast of Australia, in Queensland and New South Wales.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Taylor, Anne; Hopper, Stephen (1988). The Banksia Atlas . Vol. (Australian Flora and Fauna Series Number 8). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Government Publishing Service. pp. 156–57. ISBN   0-644-07124-9.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 George, Alex S. (1981). "The Genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Nuytsia . 3 (3): 239–473.
  3. "Banksia media R.Br". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
  4. "Banksia media R.Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  5. Bentham, George (1870). "Banksia"  . Flora Australiensis: Volume 5: Myoporineae to Proteaceae. London, United Kingdom: L. Reeve & Co. pp. 541–62.
  6. Kuntze, Otto (1891). Revisio generum plantarum. Vol. 2. Leipzig: Arthur Felix. pp. 581–582.
  7. Rehder, A.; Weatherby, C. A.; Mansfeld, R.; Green, M. L. (1935). "Conservation of Later Generic Homonyms". Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). 1935 (6/9): 368. doi:10.2307/4107078. JSTOR   4107078.
  8. Sprague, T. A. (1940). "Additional Nomina Generica Conservanda (Pteridophyta and Phanerogamae)". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 1940 (3): 99. doi:10.2307/4111642. JSTOR   4111642.
  9. 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   0-643-06454-0.
  10. Thiele, Kevin; Ladiges, Pauline Y. (1996). "A cladistic analysis of Banksia (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany . 9 (5): 661–733. doi:10.1071/SB9960661.
  11. Mast, Austin R. (1998). "Molecular systematics of subtribe Banksiinae (Banksia and Dryandra; Proteaceae) based on cpDNA and nrDNA sequence data: implications for taxonomy and biogeography". Australian Systematic Botany. 11 (4): 321–342. doi:10.1071/SB97026.
  12. 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 . PMID   21665734.
  13. Mast, Austin R.; Jones, Eric H. & Havery, Shawn P. (2005). "An assessment of old and new DNA sequence evidence for the paraphyly of Banksia with respect to Dryandra (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 18 (1): 75–88. doi:10.1071/SB04015.
  14. Mast, Austin R. & Thiele, Kevin (2007). "The transfer of Dryandra R.Br. to Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany . 20 (1): 63–71. doi:10.1071/SB06016.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Wooller, S.J. and R.D. (2002). "Mixed mating in Banksia media". Australian Journal of Botany. 50 (5): 627–31. doi:10.1071/BT01075.
  16. McCredie, T. A.; Dixon, K. W.; Sivasithamparam, K. (1985). "Variability in the resistance of Banksia L.f. species to Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands". Australian Journal of Botany . 33 (6): 629–37. doi:10.1071/BT9850629.
  17. Sweedman, Luke; Merritt, David, eds. (2006). Australian seeds: a guide to their collection, identification and biology . CSIRO Publishing. p.  203. ISBN   0-643-09298-6.