Banksia micrantha

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Banksia micrantha
Banksia micrantha.jpg
Habit near Lesueur National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Banksia
Species:
B. micrantha
Binomial name
Banksia micrantha

Banksia micrantha is a species of small shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading bush with sharply-pointed linear leaves, pale yellow flower spikes and up to twenty-five follicles surrounded by the remains of the flowers. It was first formally described by Alex George in 1981.

Contents

Description

Banksia micrantha grows as a spreading, bushy shrub up to 60 cm (24 in) high and 120 cm (47 in) wide and forms a lignotuber. Its branches are often horizontal and underground at first. It has hairy stems and sharply-pointed, linear leaves 10–30 mm (0.39–1.18 in) long and 1–1.4 mm (0.039–0.055 in) wide on a petiole 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) long. The edges of the leaves are tightly rolled under. The flowers are pale yellow and arranged in a spike 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long with hairy involucral bracts 2.5–4 mm (0.098–0.157 in) long at the base of the head. The perianth is 17–20 mm (0.67–0.79 in) long and the pistil hooked and 19–23 mm (0.75–0.91 in) long. Up to twenty-five egg-shaped to elliptic follicles 23–27 mm (0.91–1.06 in) long 7–15 mm (0.28–0.59 in) high and 20–23 mm (0.79–0.91 in) wide form in each head, surrounded by the remains of the flowers. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

Banksia micrantha had been recorded since 1938, but considered part of a broad B. sphaerocarpa complex, [6] until officially described in 1981 by Alex George in his monograph The genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae) . The specific epithet (micrantha) is from ancient Greek words meaning "small" and "flower". [5] [7]

George placed B. micrantha in Banksia subgenus Banksia because of its characteristic Banksia flower spike, [5] :274 section Oncostylis because its flowers have hooked styles, [5] :391 and series Abietinae because of its roughly spherical flower spike. [5] :416 Its closest relative is said to B. sphaerocarpa (fox banksia). [5] :426

A 1996 cladistic analysis of Banksia by Kevin Thiele and Pauline Ladiges confirmed B. micrantha's placement in series Abietinae alongside B. sphaerocarpa, finding B. micrantha to be more closely related to B. sphaerocarpa var. sphaerocarpa and B. sphaerocarpa var. caesia than is B. sphaerocarpa var. dolichostyla. As a result, this last variety was upgraded to species rank as B. dolichostyla, and the four taxa were placed with B. grossa in a new subseries of Abietinae, Banksia subser. Sphaerocarpae. [8] However, these changes were not accepted by Alex George in his authoritative 1999 contribution to the Flora of Australia series. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Banksia micrantha grows in kwongan and occurs amongst heath on sand or sand over laterite on the gentle slopes of lateritic hills between Eneabba and Cervantes. [3] [9]

Ecology

This banksia is fire tolerant, resprouting from its lignotuber but the follicles also remain closed until after a bushfire, when the follicles open to release the seed. [3] [5]

Conservation status

Banksia micrantha is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [2]

Use in horticulture

Seeds do not require any treatment, and take 19 to 21 days to germinate. [10]

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.

<i>Banksia conferta</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to eastern Australia

Banksia conferta, commonly known as the glasshouse banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, bark on the trunk, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves arranged in whorls, crowded yellow flowers in a cylindrical spike later forming a relatively large number of follicles.

<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 grossa</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Southwest Australia

Banksia grossa is a species of shrub in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to Southwest Australia. It is one of fourteen species of banksia of the series Abietinae, all of which bear predominantly cylindrical or oval inflorescences. Collected in 1965, it was first formally described in 1981 by Alex George. Its thick leaves and large seeds distinguish it from other members of the Abietinae, and are the basis of its species name.

<i>Banksia incana</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to the south-west of Western Australia

Banksia incana, commonly known as the hoary banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has hairy stems, narrow linear leaves, heads of bright yellow flowers and later, up to thirty-six follicles covered with greyish hairs in each head.

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

Banksia laricina, commonly known as the rose banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. It has crowded, linear leaves with a short point on the tip, golden brown flowers with a bright yellow style and prominent egg-shaped follicles.

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

Banksia pilostylis is a species of shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has hard, fissured bark, narrow wedge-shaped, serrated leaves, pale yellow flowers in cylindrical spikes and elliptical follicles that open when heated in a bushfire.

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

Banksia scabrella, commonly known as the Burma Road banksia, is a species of woody shrub in the genus Banksia. It is classified in the series Abietinae, a group of several species of shrubs with small round or oval inflorescences. It occurs in a number of isolated populations south of Geraldton, Western Australia, with the largest population being south and east of Mount Adams. Found on sandy soils in heathland or shrubland, it grows to 2 m (7 ft) high and 3 m (10 ft) across with fine needle-like leaves. Appearing in spring and summer, the inflorescences are round to oval in shape and tan to cream with purple styles. Banksia scabrella is killed by fire and regenerates by seed.

<i>Banksia sphaerocarpa</i> Shrub or tree in the family Proteaceae widely distributed across the southwest of Western Australia

Banksia sphaerocarpa, commonly known as the fox banksia or round-fruit banksia, is a species of shrub or tree in the plant genus Banksia. It is generally encountered as a 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) high shrub, and is usually smaller in the north of its range. This species has narrow green leaves, and brownish, orange or yellow round flower spikes which may be seen from January to July. It is widely distributed across the southwest of Western Australia, growing exclusively in sandy soils. It is usually the dominant plant in scrubland or low woodland. It is pollinated by, and is a food source for, birds, mammals, and insects.

<i>Banksia telmatiaea</i> Australian shrub that grows in marshes and swamps

Banksia telmatiaea, commonly known as swamp fox banksia or rarely marsh banksia, is a shrub that grows in marshes and swamps along the lower west coast of Australia. It grows as an upright bush up to 2 metres tall, with narrow leaves and a pale brown flower spike, which can produce profuse quantities of nectar. First collected in the 1840s, it was not published as a separate species until 1981; as with several other similar species it was previously included in B. sphaerocarpa.

<i>Banksia violacea</i> Species of plant

Banksia violacea, commonly known as violet banksia, is a species of shrub or tree in the plant genus Banksia. It generally grows as a small shrub to 1.5 m (5 ft) high with fine narrow leaves, and is best known for its unusually coloured dark purple-violet inflorescences. The colour of the inflorescences, short leaves, and flattened follicles which are sticky when young, help identify this species from others in the field. It is found in low shrubland in southern regions of Western Australia from Esperance in the east to Narrogin in the west, growing exclusively in sandy soils.

<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 penicillata</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to New South Wales, Australia

Banksia penicillata is a species of shrub that is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It has smooth bark, serrated, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves, green to bluish flower buds, later yellow flowers in a cylindrical spike, and later still, up to one hundred narrow elliptical follicles in each spike, surrounded by the remains of the flowers.

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.

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> 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.

<i>Banksia neoanglica</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae from eastern Australia

Banksia neoanglica, commonly known as New England banksia is a shrub or small tree with leaves that are greenish on the upper surface, whitish with soft hairs on the lower side and spikes of flowers with styles that turn black as they open. It is similar to Banksia spinulosa and was formerly known as Banksia spinulosa var. neoanglica, but differs in that its leaves are wider and have margins that are not tightly turned under. It is found mainly along the eastern edge of the Great Dividing Range.

<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 sphaerocarpa <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> dolichostyla</i> Variety of shrub

Banksia sphaerocarpa var. dolichostyla, commonly known as Ironcap Banksia, is a plant which is either considered a variety of Banksia sphaerocarpa, or as a species in its own right. It is native to the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia. Seeds do not require any treatment, and take around 33 days to germinate.

References

  1. "Banksia micrantha". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Banksia micrantha". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. 1 2 3 4 George, Alex S. (1999). Flora of Australia (PDF). Vol. 17B. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. p. 207. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  4. George, Alex S. (1996). The Banksia Book (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, New South Wales: Kangaroo Press. pp. 204–205. ISBN   0-86417-818-2.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 George, Alex S. (1981). "The Genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Nuytsia. 3 (3): 422–426. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  6. Blake, T. (1982). "The Banksia Revision". Banksia Study Report. Ringwood, Victoria: Banksia Study Group (6): 1–19. ISSN   0728-2893.
  7. "Banksia micrantha". APNI. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  8. Thiele, Kevin; Ladiges, Pauline Y. (1996). "A Cladistic Analysis of Banksia (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 9 (5): 661–733. doi:10.1071/SB9960661.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.