Banksia viscida

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Banksia viscida
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Banksia
Subgenus: Banksia subg. Banksia
Series: Banksia ser. Dryandra
Species:
B. viscida
Binomial name
Banksia viscida
Synonyms

Dryandra viscida A.S.George

Banksia viscida, commonly known as sticky dryandra, is a small shrub known only from four laterite hills in semi-arid inland Western Australia. Known until recently as Dryandra viscida, it is thought to be rare but not threatened.

Contents

Description

Banksia viscida grows as a small, dense, rounded shrub no more than 1 metre (3 ft) high. Its leaves are 15 to 35 centimetres (5.9 to 14 in) long and 5 to 10 millimetres (0.20 to 0.39 in) wide; they are pinnatifid, with 25 to 75 triangular lobes on each side. Flowers are golden yellow, and occur in dome-shaped heads of 40 to 55 flowers, up to 4 centimetres (2 in) across. After flowering, the heads may develop up to several follicles each, which contain two or sometimes one seed. [1] [2]

Taxonomy

Early collections of this species include specimens collected from South Ironcap by Keith Alcock and John Stanley Beard, and specimens collected from west of Digger Rocks by Stephen Hopper. The type specimen was collected by Alex George from Hatter Hill on 30 July 1969. [1] [3] For some time prior to formal publication it was recognised as a new species, and was referred to by the interim name Dryandra sp. 16 (A.S.George 9446). [4]

George published a formal description of the species in 1996 in Nuytsia 10(3). He placed it in the genus Dryandra , subgenus Dryandra, series Gymnocephalae, and gave it the specific epithet "viscida" from the Latin viscidus ("sticky"), in reference to its sticky involucral bracts. [3] Thus its full name was, for a time, Dryandra viscida A.S.George. [1] [2]

Early in 2007, Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele transferred all Dryandra taxa to Banksia. The current name for this species is therefore Banksia viscida (A.S.George) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele. As an interim measure, Mast and Thiele placed all but one Dryandra taxon in Banksia ser. Dryandra. [5]

Distribution and habitat

Distribution of B. viscida, shown on a map of Western Australia's biogeographic regions. Banksia viscida map.png
Distribution of B. viscida, shown on a map of Western Australia's biogeographic regions.

Banksia viscida is known only from four lateritic rises on the border of the Coolgardie and Mallee biogeographic regions; [6] these are Digger Rocks, Middle Ironcap, South Ironcap and Hatter Hill. It occurs there in gravelly soil amongst thick scrub. The area is hot and dry, with mean annual rainfall of 300 to 350 millimetres (12 to 14 in), and up to 90 days above 30 °C (86 °F). [1] [2]

Ecology

Like most other Proteaceae, B. viscida has proteoid roots, roots with dense clusters of short lateral rootlets that form a mat in the soil just below the leaf litter. These enhance solubilisation of nutrients, thus allowing nutrient uptake in low-nutrient soils such as the phosphorus-deficient native soils of Australia. It lacks a lignotuber, so is killed by bushfire. However it is adapted to release its seed following a fire, so populations regenerate rapidly. [2]

It has been given a rating of "Priority Three - Poorly Known Taxa" on Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation's Declared Rare and Priority Flora List, meaning that it appears to be rare but not threatened, but further surveys are required. [6]

Cultivation

The species is little known in cultivation. It germinates well, but is difficult to establish and slow to grow. It has been grown successfully in loamy soil in northern Victoria, but attempts to grow it in the sandy soils of Perth have failed. Tony Cavanagh and Margaret Pieroni suggest that as a compact shrub with attractive foliage it would be best suited to a small garden. It requires warm, dry weather with near full sun, and heavy well drained soils. It is hardy to drought and frost. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Banksia acanthopoda</i> Species of shrub in Western Australia

Banksia acanthopoda is a species of shrub in the family Proteaceae. It grows as a small spreading shrub to 2 m high and has prickly leaves and yellow composite flower heads, called inflorescences, composed of 50 to 60 individual yellow flowers. Flowering takes place in the southern hemisphere winter. Endemic to Western Australia, it occurs only in a few populations in the vicinities of Woodanilling, Katanning and Darkan. Because of its rarity, it is classed as "Priority Two" conservation flora by Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation.

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

Banksia armata, commonly known as prickly dryandra, is a species of often sprawling shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has deeply serrated leaves with sharply pointed lobes and spikes of about 45 to 70 yellow flowers.

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

Banksia aurantia, commonly known as the orange dryandra, is a shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has underground stems, deeply divided leaves with 18 to 28 lobes on each sides, about eighty pale orange-pink flowers in each inflorescence, and egg-shaped follicles.

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

Banksia hirta is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hairy stems, deeply serrated leaves, pale yellow flowers in heads of about one hundred and shining follicles. It is restricted to the Stirling Range National Park.

Banksia ionthocarpa is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has short, hairy, prostrate stems, pinnatifid leaves, pinkish purple to orange flower in heads of between forty and sixty at the base of leaves, and egg-shaped follicles with a distinctive tuft of hairs on the end.

<i>Banksia nobilis</i> Species of shrub in Western Australia

Banksia nobilis, commonly known as the golden dryandra, great dryandra or kerosene bush, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae which is endemic to Western Australia. It occurs on lateritic rises from Eneabba to Katanning in the state's Southwest Botanic Province. With large pinnatifid leaves with triangular lobes, and a golden or reddish pink inflorescence, it is a popular garden plant. It was known as Dryandra nobilis until 2007, when all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia by Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele. There are two subspecies, B. nobilis subsp. nobilis and B. nobilis subsp. fragrans.

Banksia acuminata is a rare prostrate shrub endemic to south-west Western Australia. It was published in 1848 as Dryandra preissii, but transferred into Banksia as B. acuminata in 2007.

Banksia prionophylla is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. Known only from a single population of around 70 plants in a remote part of Western Australia, it is considered rare but not endangered. It was first discovered in 2001, and published under the genus Dryandra in 2005, before being transferred into Banksia in 2007.

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

Banksia proteoides, commonly known as king dryandra, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. It was known as Dryandra proteoides until 2007, when all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia by Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele.

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

Banksia serratuloides is a species of small shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has linear, pinnatipartite leaves, yellow and pink flowers in heads of about forty and hairy, wrinkled follicles.

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

Banksia strictifolia is a species of bushy shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has serrated, linear leaves with sharply-pointed teeth on both sides, creamy yellow flowers in heads of between forty-five and eighty-five, and egg-shaped to more or less spherical follicles.

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

Banksia tenuis is a species of shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has pinnatifid, serrated or smooth-edges leaves, golden brown and cream-coloured flowers in heads of about fifty-five and glabrous, egg-shaped follicles.

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

Banksia vestita, commonly known as summer dryandra, is a species of shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has broadly linear, pinnatifid leaves with sharply pointed teeth on both sides, yellow flowers in heads of between thirty and forty, and broadly egg-shaped follicles.

<i>Banksia wonganensis</i> Species of shrub in Western Australia

Banksia wonganensis is a large shrub endemic to Western Australia that, until 2007, was previously known as Dryandra wonganensis. It occurs within a small area in the vicinity of the Wongan Hills. It grows on lateritic soils in open woodland or amongst dense shrub. It is rare, but does not appear to be endangered.

Banksia xylothemelia is a sprawling woody shrub of the family Proteaceae endemic to southern Western Australia, one of the many species commonly known as dryandras and until recently called Dryandra xylothemelia. To date it is almost unknown in cultivation.

Banksia trifontinalis is a species of openly-branched shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has broadly linear, coarsely serrated, sharply pointed leaves, pale yellow flowers in heads of about sixty, and oblong to egg-shaped follicles.

<i>Banksia sessilis <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> cordata</i> Variety of plant in the family Proteaceae from the extreme south-west corner of Western Australia

Banksia sessilis var. cordata is a variety of Banksia sessilis, with unusually large leaves and flower heads. It is a rare variety that is restricted to the extreme south-west corner of Western Australia.

<i>Banksia sessilis <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> sessilis</i> Variety of plant in the family Proteaceae from Western Australia

Banksia sessilis var. sessilis is the most populous and most widespread variety of Banksia sessilis.

<i>Banksia sessilis <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> cygnorum</i> Variety of plant of Western Australia

Banksia sessilis var. cygnorum is a variety of Banksia sessilis.

Banksia sessilis var. flabellifolia is a variety of Banksia sessilis.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 George, Alex S. (1999). "Dryandra". In Wilson, Annette (ed.). Flora of Australia . Vol. 17B: Proteaceae 3: Hakea to Dryandra. CSIRO Publishing / Australian Biological Resources Study. pp. 251–363. ISBN   0-643-06454-0.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Cavanagh, Tony; Pieroni, Margaret (2006). The Dryandras. Melbourne: Australian Plants Society (SGAP Victoria); Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. ISBN   1-876473-54-1.
  3. 1 2 George, Alex S. (1996). "New taxa and a new infragenetic classification in Dryandra R.Br. (Proteaceae: Grevilleoideae)". Nuytsia . 10 (3): 313–408.
  4. "Dryandra viscida A.S.George". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  5. Mast, Austin R.; Thiele, Kevin (2007). "The transfer of Dryandra R.Br. to Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany . 20: 63–71. doi:10.1071/SB06016.
  6. 1 2 3 "Dryandra viscida A.S.George". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.