Banksia armata

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Prickly Dryandra

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Banksia
Subgenus:	Banksia subg. Banksia
Series:	Banksia ser. Dryandra
Species:	B. armata

Binomial name

Banksia armata
(R.Br.) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele

Banksia armata, commonly known as Prickly Dryandra, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia.

1 Description
2 Distribution and habitat
3 Taxonomy
4 References

[edit] Description

B. armata grows as a spreading or upright shrub, up to three metres in height. It has deeply serrated leaves. Its inflorescences are usually bright yellow, but may be pink.

[edit] Distribution and habitat

The species is widespread throughout most of the south-west. The main distribution is between Perth and Albany, but it also occurs near Mount Lesueur in the north, and between Esperance and Israelite Bay on the south coast. It grows on sandy loam or in rocky soils in tall shrubland or low woodland.

[edit] Taxonomy

Specimens of B. armata were first collected at King George Sound in December 1801 by Robert Brown. Brown published a description of the species in 1810, naming it Dryandra armata; the specific epithet is from the Latin armatus ("armed") in reference to the sharply serrated leaves. In 2007, all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia by Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele; hence its current name is Banksia armata (R.Br.) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele.

Two varieties are recognised: B. a. var.armata grows as a spreading bush with a lignotuber and bright yellow inflorescences; B. a. var.ignicida has a more upright habit, lacks a lignotuber, and often has pink flowers.

[edit] References

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.
Mast, Austin R. and Kevin Thiele (2007). "The transfer of Dryandra R.Br. to Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany 20: 63–71.
Dryandra armata. FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.