Banksia armata var. ignicida

Banksia armata var. ignicida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Banksia
Subgenus:	Banksia subg. Banksia
Series:	Banksia ser. Dryandra
Species:	B. armata
Variety:	B. armata. var. ignicida
Trinomial name
Banksia armata var. ignicida (A.S.George) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele

Banksia armata var. ignicida is a variety of shrub endemic to Western Australia.

Description

B. armata var. ignicida grows as an upright shrub, up to three metres in height, with deeply serrated leaves and yellow or sometimes pink inflorescences. Unlike B. armata var. armata, it lacks a lignotuber.

Distribution and habitat

It occurs through much of the south-west, being widespread between Pingelly and Katanning, and also between Esperance and Israelite Bay. It grows amongst tall scrub on a range of sandy and rocky soils.

Taxonomy

Specimens of B. armata were first collected in 1801, and the species was published in 1810 as Dryandra armata. In 1996, Alex George published D. armata var. ignicida based on a type specimen collected by him east of Woodanilling. The varietal epithet is from the Latin ignis ("fire") and -cidus ("killing"), in reference to the fact that this variety is killed by fire (because it lacks a lignotuber). In 2007, all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia by Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele; hence the current name of this variety is Banksia armata var. ignicida (A.S.George) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele.

References

• Cavanagh, Tony; Pieroni, Margaret (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. doi:10.1071/SB06016. 
• "Dryandra armata var. ignicida". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.