Banksia gardneri
Prostrate Banksia
Prostrate Banksia
Banksia gardnerivar brevidentata
Banksia gardnerivar brevidentata
Wikipedia links: Angiosperms > Eudicots > Proteales > Proteaceae > Banksia gardneri
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Common name: Prostrate Banksia
Conservation status: Least concern
It is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife
Etymology:
The genus is named after Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820 ), who, in 1770, was the first European to collect specimens of these plants
The specific epithet honours Charles Gardner, the Government Botanist of Western Australia from 1929 to 1960
Flowers:
The flowers are borne on a head 35–100 mm long and 40–60 mm wide when the flowers open
Theybhave hairy involucral bracts 10–30 mm long at the base of the head
The flowers are usually rusty brown with a cream-coloured style
The perianth is 17–26 mm long
The pistil 18–30 mm long
Flowering occurs from April to November
Fruit:
Up to twenty-five densely hairy, elliptical follicles 23–40 mm long, 5–20 mm high and 8–15 mm wide form in each in each fruiting head
Leaves:
Its leaves are pinnatipartite or serrated, 100–280 mm long and 20–60 mm wide
They are on a petiole 40–120 mm long
The lobes on the sides triangular to oblong.
Stem & branches:
Has hairy stems that usually lie on the surface
Roots:
Forms a lignotuber
Habit:
A prostrate shrub
Habitat:
Shrubland, low woodland and kwongan
Distribution:
It is endemic to Western Australia
Grows in mainly between Cranbrook, Ravensthorpe, Harrismith and the south coast of WA
Additional notes:
Taxonomy and naming
Prostrate banksia was first formally described in 1830 by Robert Brown who gave it the name Banksia prostrata, but the name was illegitimate because it was already in use (Banksia prostrata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) for a New Zealand endemic now known as Pimelea prostrata (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) Lam
In 1981, Alex George described the species in the journal Nuytsia, giving it the name Banksia gardneri
In the same journal, George described three varieties and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
Banksia gardneri var. brevidentata that has serrated leaves
Banksia gardneri var. gardneri that has pinnatipartite leaves and rusty brown flowers mainly in spring
Banksia gardneri var. hiemalis that has pinnatipartite leaves and pale pink and pale brown flowers, mainly in winter
Sources of information: