Banksia ornata

Last updated

Desert banksia
Banksia ornata3 Mt annan entrance apr 04 email.jpg
Mount Annan Botanic Garden
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Banksia
Subgenus: Banksia subg. Banksia
Species:
B. ornata
Binomial name
Banksia ornata
Synonyms [1]
Habitat in Little Desert National Park Banksia ornata habit.jpg
Habitat in Little Desert National Park

Banksia ornata, commonly known as desert banksia, [2] is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. The Ngarrindjeri people of the Lower Murray region in South Australia know it as yelakut. [3] It has thin bark, serrated, narrow egg-shaped leaves with the lower end towards the base, cream-coloured flowers in a cylindrical spike, and later, up to fifty follicles in each spike, surrounded by the remains of the flowers.

Contents

Description

Banksia ornata is a shrub that typically grows to a height of about 3 m (9.8 ft) but does not form a lignotuber. It has thin grey bark and stems that are hairy at first, later glabrous. The leaves are narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, or wedge-shaped, 30–100 mm (1.2–3.9 in) long and 4–25 mm (0.16–0.98 in) wide on a petiole 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long. The flowers are cream-coloured and arranged in a broadly cylindrical spike 50–110 mm (2.0–4.3 in) long and 70–80 mm (2.8–3.1 in) wide when the flowers open. There are hairy involucral bracts at the base of the spike but they fall off before the flowers open. The perianth is 30–35 mm (1.2–1.4 in) long and the pistil 35–38 mm (1.4–1.5 in) long and slightly curved. Flowering occurs in most months but mainly in winter and spring and there are up to fifty elliptic follicles 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long and 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) wide in each spike, surrounded by the remains of the old flowers. [2] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Taxonomy and naming

Banksia ornata was first formally described in 1854 by Carl Meissner from an unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller. The description was published in Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. [8] [9] The specific epithet (ornata) is from the Latin word ornatus meaning "decorated", referring to the flowers and leaves. [4]

Distribution and habitat

Desert banksia is common in western Victoria and in South Australia. In South Australia it is found in the south-east of the state south of Nuriootpa, including on the lower Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and east of Adelaide. It is confined to the far west of Victoria, mainly between Murrayville and the Grampians. It tends to grow in mallee and heathland environments in sandy, well-drained soils.

Ecology

Nectarivorous birds are attracted to this shrub. Species observed feeding at its flowers include Anthochaera carunculata (red wattlebird), Melithreptus brevirostris (brown-header honeyeater), Melithreptus lunatus (white-naped honeyeater) and Zosterops lateralis (silvereye). [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Acacia glaucoptera</i> Species of legume

Acacia glaucoptera, commonly known as flat wattle or clay wattle, is a species of Acacia which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

<i>Grevillea chrysophaea</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Victoria, Australia

Grevillea chrysophaea, commonly known as golden grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to Victoria in Australia. It is a spreading shrub with oblong to almost linear leaves, and dull to golden yellow flowers with a red or orange-red style.

<i>Grevillea micrantha</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Victoria, Australia

Grevillea micrantha, also known as small-flower grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to Victoria in Australia. It is a spreading shrub with linear leaves and clusters of white to pale pink flowers.

<i>Leptospermum myrsinoides</i> Species of plant

Leptospermum myrsinoides, commonly known as the heath tea-tree or silky tea-tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has smooth bark on the younger stems, narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers and fruit that has the remains of the sepals attached but usually falls from the plant soon after the seeds are released.

<i>Prostanthera striatiflora</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera striatiflora, commonly known as jockey's cap, striated mintbush or striped mintbush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to the more arid areas of Australia. It is an erect, aromatic shrub with narrow egg-shaped to narrow elliptic leaves and white flowers with purple lines inside the petal tube.

<i>Goodenia albiflora</i> Species of plant

Goodenia albiflora, commonly known as white goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to South Australia. It is a small, erect shrub with ridged stems, elliptic to egg-shaped, cauline leaves, racemes of white flowers with leaf-like bracteoles at the base, and oval fruit.

<i>Pimelea hewardiana</i> Species of plant

Pimelea hewardiana, commonly known as forked rice-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly elliptic leaves and head-like clusters of 7 to 34 unisexual yellow flowers.

<i>Billardiera sericophora</i> Species of shrub endemic to South Australia

Billardiera sericophora is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is spreading shrub or climber that has mostly narrowly elliptic leaves and pendent yellow flowers arranged singly or in pairs.

<i>Acacia aciphylla</i> Species of legume

Acacia aciphylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy, prickly shrub with down-turned, rigid, sharply-pointed phyllodes, flowers arranged in a oval heads usually arranged in pairs in leaf axils, and linear pods up to 90 mm (3.5 in) long.

<i>Isotoma petraea</i> Species of plant in Australia

Isotoma petraea, commonly known as rock isotome, is a small, herbaceous plant in the family Campanulaceae occurring in arid regions of Australia. It has single, purplish-blue flowers on smooth, slender branches from February to November.

<i>Hakea rostrata</i> Species of plant in the family Proteaceae, native to South Australia and Victoria

Hakea rostrata, common name beaked hakea, is a flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, native to South Australia and Victoria.

<i>Swainsona procumbens</i> Species of plant

Swainsona procumbens, commonly known as Broughton pea or swamp pea is a species of flowering plant in the pea family (Fabaceae), and is native to Australia. It is a spreading or ascending perennial shrub-like herb with imparipinnate leaves with 15 to 25 linear to narrowly lance-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of 2 to 12 purple or mauve to pink flowers.

<i>Sarcozona praecox</i> Species of succulent

Sarcozona praecox, commonly known as sarcozona, is species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small erect to low-lying, succulent shrub with leaves that are triangular in cross-section and arranged in opposite pairs, and daisy-like flowers with twenty to eighty pink, petal-like staminodes and 20 to 150 stamens.

<i>Goodenia calcarata</i> Species of plant

Goodenia calcarata, commonly known as streaked goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, annual herb with toothed egg-shaped to oblong leaves, racemes of white, cream-coloured or pink to mauve flowers with brownish markings, and oval fruit.

<i>Goodenia pinnatifida</i> Species of plant

Goodenia pinnatifida, commonly known as cut-leaf goodenia, scrambled eggs or mother ducks, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to Australia. It is a low-lying to ascending perennial herb with toothed to pinnatisect leaves, racemes of yellow flowers and more or less spherical fruit.

<i>Spyridium coactilifolium</i> Species of shrub

Spyridium coactilifolium, commonly known as butterfly spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae. It has white-velvety flowers and oval shaped leaves that are thickly covered in soft hairs.

<i>Olearia muelleri</i> Species of Asteraceae

Olearia muelleri, commonly known as Mueller daisy bush, Mueller's daisy bush or Goldfields daisy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a compact or spreading shrub with scattered spatula-shaped to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

Olearia hookeri, commonly known as crimsontip daisybush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a sticky shrub with small, narrowly linear leaves and white to bluish-purple and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

Pimelea micrantha, commonly known as silky rice-flower is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a much-branched undershrub with narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped leaves and compact clusters or heads of densely hairy, creamy white flowers.

<i>Abutilon halophilum</i> Species of mallow

Abutilon halophilum is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is a small understory shrub with yellow or cream-white flowers and hairy oval-shaped leaves and grows in New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

References

  1. 1 2 "Banksia ornata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 Jeanes, Jeff A.; Stajsic, Val. "Banksia ornata". Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  3. Clarke, P.A. (2003). "Twentieth Century Aboriginal Harvesting Practices in the Rural Landscape of the Lower Murray, South Australia". Records of the South Australian Museum. 36 (1): 83–107.
  4. 1 2 George, Alex S. (1996). The Banksia Book (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, New South Wales: Kangaroo Press. pp. 98–99. ISBN   0-86417-818-2.
  5. George, Alex S. (1999). Flora of Australia (PDF). Vol. 17B. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. pp. 199–200. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  6. George, Alex S. (1981). "The Genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Nuytsia. 3 (3): 326–327. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  7. "Banksia ornata". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  8. "Banksia ornata". APNI. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  9. Meissner, Carl (1854). "Plantae Muellerianae: Proteaceae". Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. 26: 352–353. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  10. Barker, R. D.; Vestjens, W. J. M. (1984). The Food of Australian Birds. Melbourne University Press. pp. 2:183, 223, 225, 271, 458. ISBN   0-643-05006-X.