Banksia acanthopoda
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| Banksia acanthopoda (A.S.George) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele |
Banksia acanthopoda is a spreading shrub with prickly leaves and yellow flower heads. Endemic to Western Australia, it occurs only in a few populations in the vicinities of Woodanilling, Katanning and Darkan. Published in 1996, it was known as Dryandra acanthopoda until 2007, when all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia.
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[edit] Description
B. acanthopoda grows as a spreading shrub to two metres in height. It has long, curved leaves with sharply serrated margins, and five to ten spines on the petiole. Each inflorescence consists of 50 to 60 yellow flowers packed densely together into a dome-shaped head up to four centimetres (1½ in) in diameter. The fruiting structure is a woody dome firmly embedded with up to six light brown follicles, each containing one or two seeds.[1][2][3]
B. acanthopoda resembles B. hewardiana but has smaller leaves that are sticky when young. Its flower heads are similar to that of B. squarrosa (Pingle), but its perianths and pistils are straight rather than curved, and longer.[1]
[edit] Distribution and habitat
There are only a few small populations. Until 1999 it was thought to occur only in the Avon Wheatbelt, in the vicinity of Woodanilling and Katanning;[2][3] since then, a population has been found in the Jarrah Forest region, south of Darkan.[1]
It grows in tall closed kwongan heath in lateritic soils, sometimes with a sparse overstorey of Eucalyptus wandoo (Wandoo) or E. drummondii (Drummond's Gum). The area has a mean temperature range of 9 to 22°C (48–72°F), with up to 40 days above 30°C (86°F), and a mean annual rainfall of 400 to 500 millimetres (15.7–19.7 in).[1]
Other Banksia species that co-occur with B. acanthopoda include B. stuposa, B. armata var. ignicida and B. nobilis (Golden Dryandra).[1]
[edit] Taxonomy
Early collections of B. acanthopoda include a specimen collected by F. W. Humphreys between Katanning and Kwobrup on 21 December 1964; a specimen collected by Alex George west of Woodanilling on 26 July 1986; a specimen collected by Ray Garstone north of Woodanilling on 7 October 1986; and a specimen collected by Kenneth Newbey east of Katanning. The species was published by George in 1996, based on his 1986 specimen, as Dryandra acanthopoda. The specific name comes from the Greek "acantha" (thorn or prickle) and "podos" (foot), in reference to the spines at the bases of leaves. George placed it in genus Dryandra, subgenus Dryandra, series Armatae, remarking that its closest relative is the plant then known as Dryandra polycephala (now Banksia polycephala).[2][3]
In 2005, Austin Mast, Eric Jones and Shawn Havery showed Banksia to be paraphyletic with respect with Dryandra.[4] The name Dryandra remained in use, however, until early in 2007, when Mast and Kevin Thiele transferred all Dryandra taxa to Banksia. The current name for this species is therefore Banksia acanthopoda (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]
[edit] Ecology
Little has been reported of its ecology. It flowers from July to October, and shed its seed annually.[1] When first published, it was rated "Priority Three - Poorly Known Taxa" under the Department of Environment and Conservation's Conservation Codes for Western Australian Flora.[2] It has since been upgraded to "Priority Two - Poorly Known Taxa".[6]
[edit] Cultivation
Banksia acanthopoda is little known in cultivation, although it has been successfully grown and propagated at The Banksia Farm in Mount Barker, Western Australia, and at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne, Melbourne. It is a sprawling and untidy shrub, but this may be improved by pruning. Its prominent yellow flower heads have potential for use in the cut flower industry. It prefers a well-drained soil in full sun or light shade, and will tolerate dry conditions once established. Propagation is by seed; seeds take three to five weeks to germinate, and have a germination rate of 80 to 90 percent.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Cavanagh, Tony and Margaret Pieroni (2006). The Dryandras. Melbourne: Australian Plants Society (SGAP Victoria); Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. ISBN 1-876473-54-1.
- ^ a b c d George, Alex S. (1996). "New taxa and a new infragenetic classification in Dryandra R.Br. (Proteaceae: Grevilleoideae)". [[Nuytsia (journal)|]] 10 (3): 313–408.
- ^ a b c George, Alex S.. (1999). "Dryandra". Flora of Australia Volume 17B: Proteaceae 3: Hakea to Dryandra: 175–251. Ed. Wilson, Annette. CSIRO Publishing / Australian Biological Resources Study. ISBN 0-643-06454-0.
- ^ Mast, Austin R.; Eric H. Jones and Shawn P. Havery (2005). "An Assessment of Old and New DNA sequence evidence for the Paraphyly of Banksia with respect to Dryandra (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany 18 (1): 75-88. DOI:10.1071/SB04015.
- ^ Mast, Austin R. and Kevin Thiele (2007). "The transfer of Dryandra R.Br. to Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany 20: 63–71. DOI:10.1071/SB06016.
- ^ Dryandra acanthopoda. FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
[edit] External links
- Dryandra acanthopoda. Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
- Dryandra acanthopoda. FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
