Brown's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia
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Robert Brown's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia was published in his 1810 Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insularae Van-Diemen, and expanded in this 1830 supplement to that publication. It was the first survey of Banksia species to be published, and included descriptions of a number of previously undescribed species.[1]
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[edit] Background
- See also: Banksia and Taxonomy of Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 80 species in the plant family Proteaceae. An iconic Australian wildflower and popular garden plant, they are recognised by their flower spikes or domes, and their fruiting "cones". They grow in forms varying from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up to 35 metres tall, and occur in all but the most arid areas of Australia. As heavy producers of nectar, they are important sources of food for nectariferous animals such as honeyeaters and honey possum, and they are of economic importance to the nursery and cut flower industries. However they are seriously threatened by a number of processes including land clearing, frequent burning, and disease, and a number of species are rare and endangered.
Specimens of Banksia were first collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Dr Daniel Solander, naturalists on the Endeavour during Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook's 1770 voyage to the Pacific Ocean. By the time of Brown's 1810 arrangement, less than 20 Banksia species had been published. However, Brown had himself collected specimens of 13 unpublished species in 1801 and 1802; thus he was able to publish an arrangement of 31 species.
Brown released a second edition of his Prodromus in 1821, but no new species of Banksia had been collected since that time, so the arrangement was the same as in the first edition. Between 1823 and 1829, however, a number of new species were collected, most of which were not published. In 1830, Brown issued a supplement to his Prodromus, which included eleven new Banksia species, nine of which were previously unpublished.
[edit] Brown's arrangement
Brown divided Banksia into two subgenera. He placed B. ilicifolia alone in subgenus Isostylis because of its unusual dome-shaped inflorescences. All other species were placed in subgenus Banksia verae, the "true banksias", because they have the elongate flower spike then considered characteristic of Banksia.[1]
Brown's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia may be summarised as follows:[1]
- Genus Banksia
- Subgenus Banksia verae
- B. pulchella
- B. sphærocarpa
- B. nutans
- B. ericifolia
- B. spinulosa
- B. Cunninghamii (now B. spinulosa var. cunninghamii)[2]
- B. collina (now B. spinulosa var. collina)
- B. occidentalis
- B. littoralis
- B. marginata
- B. depressa (now B. marginata)
- B. patula (now B. marginata)
- B. australis (now B. marginata)
- B. insularis (now B. marginata)
- B. integrifolia
- B. compar (now B. integrifolia subsp. compar)
- B. verticillata
- B. coccinea
- B. paludosa
- B. oblongifolia
- B. latifolia (now B. robur)
- B. marcescens (now B. praemorsa)
- B. media[2]
- B. attenuata
- B. Caleyi[2]
- B. Baueri[2]
- B. Menziesii[2]
- B. elatior (now B. aemula)
- B. serrata
- B. æmula
- B. dentata
- B. quercifolia
- B. speciosa
- B. Solandri[2]
- B. grandis
- B. Baxteri[2]
- B. Goodii[2]
- B. prostrata[2] (now B. gardneri)
- B. repens
- B. Dryandroides[2]
- B. Brownii[2]
- Subgenus Isostylis
- Subgenus Banksia verae
[edit] Legacy
Brown's Banksia verae was renamed Eubanksia by Stephan Endlicher in 1847. The arrangement was eventually superceded by Carl Meissner's 1856 revision. Meissner retained Eubanksia and Isostylis, but demoted them to sectional rank. They have since been promoted to subgenus rank again by Alex George; Eubanksia is now known as B. subg. Banksia.[3]
