Banksia splendida
Encyclopedia
Banksia splendida, commonly known as Shaggy Dryandra, is a shrub
endemic to Western Australia
. It was known as Dryandra speciosa until 2007
in the late 1840s, and sent to England in Supplement 19 to his 5th Collection. The first mention of the species occurred in 1852, when Meissner published "A list of the Proteaceae collected in south-western Australia by Mr. James Drummond" in Hooker's journal of botany and Kew Garden miscellany. This list includes an entry for this specimen under the name "Dryandra speciosa Meisn. MSS.". Four years later, Meissner formally published this name in his chapter on the Proteaceae
in A. P. de Candolle
's Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis
. No etymology was given for the specific epithet, but it is accepted that it comes from the Latin
speciosus ("showy"), and refers to the attractive inflorescences; if so then this is somewhat inappropriate since the flowers tend to be obscured by foliage.
Meissner initially placed D. speciosa in D. sect. Eudryandra on the grounds that it contained a single seed separator, and erected for it a new series of unstated rank, Dryandra § Haplophyllae, which he defined as Folia omniæ integerrima ("All the leaves have completely smooth margins"). Meissner's arrangement
was overturned by George Bentham
in 1870, whose arrangement
was based solely on floral characters, and therefore disregarded leaf shape. He retained D. speciosa in D. sect. Eudryandra, but placed it in a new series, D. ser. Gymnocephalae, between with D. Shuttleworthiana (now B. shuttleworthiana
(Bearded Dryandra)) and D. tridentata (now B. tridentata
(Yellow Honeypot).
Bentham's arrangement stood until 1996, when Alex George
published a revision of the genus. D. sect. Eudryandra was discarded as invalid, and replaced by the autonym
at subgenus rank, D. subg. Dryandra
. D. speciosa was retained in this subgenus, and in D. ser. Gymnocephalae, despite the latter having a significantly different circumscription in George's arrangement
.
Since 1998, Austin Mast
has been publishing results of ongoing cladistic analyses of DNA sequence
data for the subtribe Banksiinae. His analyses have provided compelling evidence of the paraphyly
of Banksia
with respect to Dryandra
. Early in 2007, Mast and Kevin Thiele
initiated a rearrangement of Banksia by merging Dryandra into it. As there was already a plant named Banksia speciosa
(Showy Banksia), Mast and Thiele had to choose a new specific epithet for D. speciosa; their choice, splendida, is from the Latin
splendidus ("brilliant"), in reference to the attractive inflorescences. No infrageneric arrangement has been proffered in replacement for the arrangement of George's now set aside. Mast and Thiele have foreshadowed publishing a full arrangement once DNA sampling of Dryandra is complete.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
endemic to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It was known as Dryandra speciosa until 2007
Taxonomy
This species was first collected by James Drummond (botanist)James Drummond (botanist)
James Drummond was a botanist and naturalist who was an early settler in Western Australia.-Early life:...
in the late 1840s, and sent to England in Supplement 19 to his 5th Collection. The first mention of the species occurred in 1852, when Meissner published "A list of the Proteaceae collected in south-western Australia by Mr. James Drummond" in Hooker's journal of botany and Kew Garden miscellany. This list includes an entry for this specimen under the name "Dryandra speciosa Meisn. MSS.". Four years later, Meissner formally published this name in his chapter on the Proteaceae
Proteaceae
Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...
in A. P. de Candolle
A. P. de Candolle
Augustin Pyramus de Candolle also spelled Augustin Pyrame de Candolle was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at an herbarium...
's Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis
Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis
Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis, also known by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. , is a 17-volume treatise on botany initiated by A. P. de Candolle. De Candolle intended it as a summary of all known seed plants, encompassing taxonomy, ecology, evolution and biogeography....
. No etymology was given for the specific epithet, but it is accepted that it comes from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
speciosus ("showy"), and refers to the attractive inflorescences; if so then this is somewhat inappropriate since the flowers tend to be obscured by foliage.
Meissner initially placed D. speciosa in D. sect. Eudryandra on the grounds that it contained a single seed separator, and erected for it a new series of unstated rank, Dryandra § Haplophyllae, which he defined as Folia omniæ integerrima ("All the leaves have completely smooth margins"). Meissner's arrangement
Meissner's taxonomic arrangement of Dryandra
Carl Meissner's taxonomic arrangement of Dryandra, now Banksia ser. Dryandra, was published in 1856 as part of his chapter on the Proteaceae in A. P. de Candolle's Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis...
was overturned by George Bentham
George Bentham
George Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
in 1870, whose arrangement
Bentham's taxonomic arrangement of Dryandra
George Bentham's taxonomic arrangement of Dryandra was published in 1870, in Volume 5 of Bentham's Flora Australiensis...
was based solely on floral characters, and therefore disregarded leaf shape. He retained D. speciosa in D. sect. Eudryandra, but placed it in a new series, D. ser. Gymnocephalae, between with D. Shuttleworthiana (now B. shuttleworthiana
Banksia shuttleworthiana
Banksia shuttleworthiana, commonly known as Bearded Dryandra, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia, and is found between the towns of Geraldton and Gingin. It was known as Dryandra shuttleworthiana until 2007, when all Dryandra species were transferred to Banksia by Austin Mast and Kevin...
(Bearded Dryandra)) and D. tridentata (now B. tridentata
Banksia tridentata
Banksia tridentata, commonly known as Yellow Honeypot, is a shrub endemic to Western Australia. It was published as Dryandra tridentata in 1856, and remained in that genus for 150 years, although in 1893 Benjamin Daydon Jackson accidentally listed it in Index Kewensis under Banksia, thus...
(Yellow Honeypot).
Bentham's arrangement stood until 1996, when Alex George
Alex George
Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
published a revision of the genus. D. sect. Eudryandra was discarded as invalid, and replaced by the autonym
Autonym (botany)
In botanical nomenclature, autonyms are automatically created names, as regulated by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature . Autonyms are cited without an author. Relevant provisions are in articles 6.8, 22.1-3 and 26.1-3....
at subgenus rank, D. subg. Dryandra
Dryandra subg. Dryandra
Dryandra subg. Dryandra is an obsolete series within the former genus Dryandra . It was first published at sectional rank as Dryandra verae in 1830, before being renamed Eudryandra in 1847, the replaced by the autonym at subgenus rank in 1996...
. D. speciosa was retained in this subgenus, and in D. ser. Gymnocephalae, despite the latter having a significantly different circumscription in George's arrangement
George's taxonomic arrangement of Dryandra
Alex George's taxonomic arrangement of Dryandra was the first modern-day arrangement of that taxon. First published in Nuytsia in 1996, it superseded the arrangement of George Bentham, which had stood for over a hundred years; it would later form the basis for George's 1999 treatment of Dryandra...
.
Since 1998, Austin Mast
Austin Mast
Austin R. Mast is a research botanist. Born in 1972, he obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2000. He is currently an associate professor within the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University , and has been director of FSU's since August 2003.One of his...
has been publishing results of ongoing cladistic analyses of DNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data for the subtribe Banksiinae. His analyses have provided compelling evidence of the paraphyly
Paraphyly
A group of taxa is said to be paraphyletic if the group consists of all the descendants of a hypothetical closest common ancestor minus one or more monophyletic groups of descendants...
of Banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
with respect to Dryandra
Dryandra
Banksia ser. Dryandra is a series of 94 species of shrub to small tree in the plant genus Banksia. It was considered a separate genus named Dryandra until early 2007, when it was merged into Banksia on the basis of extensive molecular and morphological evidence that Banksia was paraphyletic with...
. Early in 2007, Mast and Kevin Thiele
Kevin Thiele
Kevin R. Thiele is curator of the Western Australian Herbarium. His research interests include the systematics of the plant families Proteaceae, Rhamnaceae and Violaceae, and the conservation ecology of grassy woodland ecosystems...
initiated a rearrangement of Banksia by merging Dryandra into it. As there was already a plant named Banksia speciosa
Banksia speciosa
The Showy Banksia is a species of large shrub or small tree in the plant genus Banksia. It reaches up to 8 m in height...
(Showy Banksia), Mast and Thiele had to choose a new specific epithet for D. speciosa; their choice, splendida, is from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
splendidus ("brilliant"), in reference to the attractive inflorescences. No infrageneric arrangement has been proffered in replacement for the arrangement of George's now set aside. Mast and Thiele have foreshadowed publishing a full arrangement once DNA sampling of Dryandra is complete.