Banksia xylothemelia

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Banksia xylothemelia
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. xylothemelia
Binomial name
Banksia xylothemelia
Synonyms

Dryandra xylothemelia A.S.George

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.

Contents

Description

It grows as a sprawling shrub up to 1 metre (3 ft) high, often with basal shoots arising from an underground lignotuber. It has woolly stems. The leaves are pinnatifid with five to nine leaflets on each side, 7 to 12 centimetres (2.8 to 4.7 in) long, 4 to 5.5 centimetres (1.6 to 2.2 in) wide, smooth above but woolly beneath. Flowers occur in dome shaped heads up to 4 centimetres (2 in) across, attached directly to an older stem, or on a short stalk. Flower heads contain from 80 to 100 bright yellow flowers. Each flower consists of a tubular perianth made up of four fused tepals, and one long wiry style. The styles are hooked rather than straight, and are initially trapped inside the upper perianth parts, but break free at anthesis. Seeds are produced in follicles embedded in the woody bases of the flower heads. [1] [2]

Taxonomy

Early collections of B. xylothemelia include a specimen collected in the Dragon Rocks Nature Reserve by Robert M. Buehrig on 9 December 1993, and a specimen collected from west of Lake King by P. G. Wilson. On 11 October 1994, Alex George collected what would later become the type specimen, from a location on the Holt Rock South Road, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) north of Newdigate-Lake King Road, at 32°58′S119°23′E / 32.967°S 119.383°E / -32.967; 119.383 . [1] [3]

Two years later, George published a formal description of the species in Nuytsia 10(3), placing it in genus Dryandra , subgenus Dryandra and series Armatae. He gave it the specific name "xylothemelia", from the Greek "xylon" (wood) and "themelios" (foundation), in reference to species' lignotuber, the possession of which distinguishes it from its close relative B. cirsioides ; [1] [2] [3] thus the full name of the species was for a time Dryandra xylothemelia A.S.George. [4]

Early in 2007, Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele transferred all Dryandra taxa to Banksia. The current name for this species is therefore Banksia xylothemelia (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. xylothemelia, shown on a map of Western Australia's biogeographic regions. Banksia xylothemelia map.png
Distribution of B. xylothemelia, shown on a map of Western Australia's biogeographic regions.

It occurs in sand over laterite or in gravelly loam, amongst heath or sometimes mallee woodlands and shrublands. It occurs only within the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic region, [6] between Kulin, Lake Magenta, Frank Hann National Park and Hyden. [1] [2]

Ecology

Like most other Proteaceae, B. xylothemelia 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 has a lignotuber, so is able to resprout after being burned to the ground by bushfire.

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. [6]

An assessment of the potential impact of climate change on this species found that its range is likely to contract by half under mild change, and severe change is likely to lead to extinction unless it migrates rapidly into newly habitable areas. [7]

Cultivation

Banksia xylothemelia is rarely cultivated. It prefers lateritic and other heavy soils, and tolerates dry conditions and moderate frosts once established. Tony Cavanagh and Margaret Pieroni suggest that it would be best suited to a small garden in a warm sunny area. Seed takes six to seven weeks to germinate; germination rates appear to be quite low, with most reports suggesting success rates of less than 30%. [2]

Related Research Articles

<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 epica</i> A shrub in the family Proteaceae that grows 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 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 bipinnatifida</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Western Australia

Banksia bipinnatifida is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It is a prostrate shrub with a lignotuber, an underground stem, only a few divided leaves, large cream-coloured to pale yellow flowers and large fruit.

Banksia fililoba is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has pinnatipartite leaves with sharply pointed lobes, heads of up to eighty yellowish flowers and egg-shaped fruit. It mainly grows in kwongan in the south-west of the state.

Banksia fuscobractea, commonly known as the dark-bract banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has prickly, serrated, wedge-shaped leaves, pale yellow and cream-coloured flowers in heads of up to almost two hundred, and three or four egg-shaped follicles in each head.

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 kippistiana</i> Shrub endemic to Western Australia

Banksia kippistiana is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has linear, pinnatifid leaves with ten to twenty lobes on each side, heads of up to eighty yellow and cream-coloured flowers, and elliptical follicles.

Banksia pallida is a species of column-shaped shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has densely hairy stems, linear leaves with three to five serrations on each side, pale yellow flowers in heads of up to eighty and egg-shaped to elliptical follicles.

Banksia plumosa is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hairy stems, broadly linear pinnatifid to pinnatipartite leaves with triangular lobes, creamy-yellow flowers in heads of up to eighty, and egg-shaped follicles.

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

Banksia stuposa is a species of shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has hairy stems, broadly linear pinnatifid leaves, golden yellow and white flowers in heads of one hundred or more, and hairy, 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.

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.

<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 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.

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 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 xylothemelia 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 xylothemelia A.S.George". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  7. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Matthew C.; Gove, Aaron D.; Sanders, Nathan J.; Dunn, Robert R. (2008). "Climate change, plant migration, and range collapse in a global biodiversity hotspot: the Banksia (Proteaceae) of Western Australia". Global Change Biology. 14 (6): 1–16. Bibcode:2008GCBio..14.1337F. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01559.x.
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