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The genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)
Encyclopedia
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Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
by Alex George
Alex George
Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
on the taxonomy
Taxonomy of Banksia
As with other flowering plants, the taxonomy of Banksia is based on anatomical and morphological properties of the Banksia flower, fruiting structure and seed, along with secondary characteristics such as leaf structure and growth habit...
of the plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
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...
. Published by the Western Australian Herbarium
Western Australian Herbarium
The Western Australian Herbarium is the State Herbarium in Perth, Western Australia, Western Australia. It is part of the State government's Department of Environment and Conservation, and has responsibility for the description and documentation of the flora of Western Australia.The Herbarium is...
as Nuytsia
Nuytsia (journal)
Nuytsia is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Western Australian Herbarium. It publishes papers on systematic botany, giving preference to papers related to the flora of Western Australia. Nearly twenty percent of Western Australia's plant taxa have been published in Nuytsia. First published...
3(3), it presented George's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia
George's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia
Alex George's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia was the first modern-day arrangement for that genus. First published in 1981 in the classic monograph The genus Banksia L.f. , it superseded the arrangement of George Bentham, which had stood for over a hundred years. It was overturned in 1996 by Kevin...
, the first major taxonomic revision of the genus since 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 :...
published his arrangement
Bentham's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia
George Bentham's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia was published in 1870, in Volume 5 of Bentham's Flora Australiensis. A substantial improvement on the previous arrangement, it would stand for over a century. It was eventually replaced by Alex George's 1981 arrangement, published in his classic...
in Flora Australiensis
Flora Australiensis
Flora Australiensis: a description of the plants of the Australian Territory, more commonly referred to as Flora Australiensis, and also known by its standard abbreviation Fl. Austral., is a seven-volume flora of Australia published between 1863 and 1878 by George Bentham, with the assistance of...
in 1870.
One of the most important contributions of The Genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae) was the publication of ten new species and nine new varieties of Banksia. These were:
- B. aculeataBanksia aculeataBanksia aculeata, commonly known as Prickly Banksia, is a species of shrub native to the Stirling Range in southwest Western Australia. One of three closely related species all of which have distinctive upside down lantern-like inflorescences, it bears pinkish blooms in early summer. The leaves...
(Prickly Banksia) - B. chamaephytonBanksia chamaephytonThe Fishbone Banksia is a species of prostrate shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs in sandplain country amongst low heath north of Perth, Western Australia.....
(Fishbone Banksia) - B. confertaBanksia confertaThe Glasshouse Banksia is a species of montane shrub or small tree in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs as distinct subspecies in two widely separated locations: B. conferta subsp. conferta in southern Queensland on the Lamington Plateau and further north in the Glass House Mountains; and...
(Glasshouse Banksia) (and therefore also the autonymAutonym (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....
B. conferta var. conferta, now B. conferta subsp. confertaBanksia conferta subsp. confertaBanksia conferta subsp. conferta is a subspecies of Banksia conferta. As an autonym, it is defined as encompassing the type material of the species. It grows only in Queensland between the Lamington Plateau and the Glass House Mountains....
) - B. conferta var. penicillata (now B. conferta subsp. penicillataBanksia conferta subsp. penicillataThe Newnes Plateau Banksia is a plant only described in 1981 though collected in the 1970s...
) - B. cuneataBanksia cuneataBanksia cuneata, commonly known as Matchstick Banksia or Quairading Banksia, is an endangered species of flowering plants in the Proteaceae family. Endemic to southwest Western Australia, it belongs to Banksia subg...
(Matchstick Banksia) - B. ericifolia var. macrantha (now B. ericifolia subsp. macranthaBanksia ericifolia subsp. macranthaBanksia ericifolia subsp. macrantha is a subspecies of Banksia ericifolia. It is native to New South Wales....
) - B. gardneri var. brevidentataBanksia gardneri var. brevidentataBanksia gardneri var. brevidentata is a variety of Banksia gardneri. It is native to the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia....
- B. gardneri var. hiemalisBanksia gardneri var. hiemalisBanksia gardneri var. hiemalis is a variety of Banksia gardneri. It is native to the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia. Seeds do not require any treatment, and take around 19 days to germinate....
- B. grossaBanksia grossaBanksia grossa, commonly known as Coarse Banksia is a species of shrub in the plant family Proteaceae endemic to south west Western Australia. One of fourteen species of banksia with predominantly round or oval inflorescences of the series Abietinae, it was described in 1981 as a distinct species...
(Coarse Banksia) - B. integrifolia var. aquilonia (now B. aquiloniaBanksia aquiloniaBanksia aquilonia is a species of tall shrub or tree in the plant genus Banksia.-Description:B. aquilonia grows as a tall shrub or small tree up to 8 metres high. It has hard, fissured, grey bark, and elliptic leaves without serrated margins...
) - B. lanataBanksia lanataThe Coomallo Banksia is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs within a range of less than 100 square kilometres between Eneabba and Mount Lesueur, Western Australia. It has roughly spherical inflorescences with flowers of cream to orange-brown colour. The leaves are linear and...
(Coomallo Banksia) - B. littoralis var. seminuda (now B. seminudaBanksia seminudaBanksia seminuda, commonly known as the River Banksia, is a tree in the plant genus Banksia. It is found in south west Western Australia from Dwellingup to the Broke Inlet east of Denmark . It is often mistaken for and was originally considered a subspecies of the Banksia littoralis...
) - B. meisneri var. ascendens (now B. meisneri subsp. ascendensBanksia meisneri subsp. ascendensBanksia meisneri subsp. ascendens, commonly known as Scott River Banksia, is a subspecies of Banksia meisneri. It is native to the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia....
) - B. micranthaBanksia micranthaBanksia micrantha is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. A small spreading bush with pale yellow flower spikes, it occurs between Eneabba and Cervantes in South west Western Australia...
- B. nutans var. cernuellaBanksia nutans var. cernuellaBanksia nutans var. cernuella is a variety of Banksia nutans. It is native to the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia. Seeds do not require any treatment, and take around 17 days to germinate....
- B. plagiocarpaBanksia plagiocarpaBanksia plagiocarpa, commonly known as the Dallachy's banksia or blue banksia, is a species of shrub or tree in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs only on Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland and the immediately adjacent mainland....
(Dallachy's Banksia) - B. saxicolaBanksia saxicolaBanksia saxicola, commonly known as the Grampians Banksia is a species of tree or shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs in Victoria in two distinct populations, one in The Grampians and the other on Wilsons Promontory....
(Grampians Banksia) - B. scabrellaBanksia scabrellaBanksia scabrella, commonly known as the Burma Road Banksia, is a species of woody shrub in the genus Banksia. It is classified in the series Abietinae, a group of several species of shrubs with small round or oval inflorescences...
(Burma Road Banksia) - B. sphaerocarpa var. caesiaBanksia sphaerocarpa var. caesiaBanksia sphaerocarpa var. caesia is a variety of Banksia sphaerocarpa. It is native to the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia....
- B. sphaerocarpa var. dolichostylaBanksia sphaerocarpa var. dolichostylaBanksia sphaerocarpa var. dolichostyla, commonly known as Ironcap Banksia, is a plant which is either considered a variety of Banksia sphaerocarpa, or as a species in its own right. It is native to the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia...
- B. telmatiaeaBanksia telmatiaeaBanksia telmatiaea, commonly known as Swamp Fox Banksia or rarely Marsh Banksia, is a shrub that grows in marshes and swamps along the lower west coast of Australia. It grows as an upright bush up to 2 m tall, with narrow leaves and a pale brown flower spike, which can produce profuse...
(Swamp Fox Banksia)
In addition, B. sphaerocarpa var. glabrescens was redescribed as B. incana
Banksia incana
The Hoary Banksia is a species of small shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs on sandplain heathland between Badgingarra and Eneabba in Western Australia, with outlying populations as far south as Perth. Seeds do not require any treatment, and take around 14 days to germinate....
, and B. quercifolia var. integrifolia was redescribed as B. oreophila
Banksia oreophila
The Western Mountain Banksia or Mountain Banksia is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs on the slopes and hilltops of the Stirling and Barren Ranges in southwest Western Australia.-Taxonomy:...
. B. collina was demoted to B. spinulosa var. collina
Banksia spinulosa var. collina
Banksia spinulosa var. collina is a shrub that grows along the east coast of Australia, in Queensland and New South Wales. Commonly known as Hill Banksia or Golden Candlesticks, it is a taxonomic variety of B. spinulosa...
, and B. cunninghamii was demoted to B. spinulosa var. cunninghamii
Banksia spinulosa var. cunninghamii
Banksia spinulosa var. cunninghamii, sometimes given species rank as Banksia cunninghamii, is a shrub that grows along the east coast of Australia, in Victoria and New South Wales...
.
George further proposed a new infrageneric classification
George's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia
Alex George's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia was the first modern-day arrangement for that genus. First published in 1981 in the classic monograph The genus Banksia L.f. , it superseded the arrangement of George Bentham, which had stood for over a hundred years. It was overturned in 1996 by Kevin...
for Banksia, redefining some of the existing sections, demoting Bentham's B. sect. Cyrtostylis and B. sect. Orthostylis to B. ser. Cyrtostylis
Banksia ser. Cyrtostylis
Banksia ser. Cyrtostylis is a valid botanic name for a taxonomic series within the plant genus Banksia. First published at sectional rank by George Bentham in 1870, it was demoted to a series by Alex George in 1981. The name has had three circumscriptions.-According to Bentham:Bentham published B....
and B. ser. Orthostylis (now B. ser. Banksia
Banksia ser. Banksia
Banksia ser. Banksia is avalid botanic name for a series of Banksia. As an autonym, it necessarily contains the type species of Banksia, B. serrata . Within this constraint, however, there have been various circumscriptions.-According to Bentham:Banksia ser. Banksia originated in 1870 as...
) respectively, and publishing six new series:
- B. ser. Coccinea (now B. sect. Coccinea)
- B. ser. GrandesBanksia ser. GrandesBanksia ser. Grandes is a taxonomic series in the genus Banksia. It consists of two closely related species in section Banksia, both endemic to Western Australia. These are B. grandis and B. solandri ....
- B. ser. TetragonaeBanksia ser. TetragonaeBanksia ser. Tetragonae is a taxonomic series in the genus Banksia. It consists of three closely related species of erect shrub with pendulous inflorescences in section Banksia. These are B. lemanniana , B. caleyi and B. aculeata ....
- B. ser. SpicigeraeBanksia ser. SpicigeraeBanksia ser. Spicigerae is a taxonomic series in the genus Banksia. It consists of the seven species in section Oncostylis that have cylindrical inflorescences. These range in form from small shrubs to tall trees. The leaves grow in either an alternate or whorled pattern, with various shape forms...
- B. ser. ProstrataeBanksia ser. ProstrataeBanksia ser. Prostratae is a taxonomic series in the genus Banksia. It consists of six closely related species in section Banksia, all endemic to Western Australia, with a prostrate habit.Banksia ser...
- B. ser. CrocinaeBanksia ser. CrocinaeBanksia ser. Crocinae is a taxonomic series in the genus Banksia. It consists of four closely related species, all of which are endemic to Western Australia; namely B. prionotes , B. burdettii , B. hookeriana and B. victoriae...
The classification was widely accepted, and is essentially the one that is in use today.
Finally, having examined historical specimens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
and elsewhere, George published lectotype
Lectotype
In botanical nomenclature and zoological nomenclature, a lectotype is a kind of name-bearing type. When a species was originally described on the basis of a name-bearing type consisting of multiple specimens, one of those may be designated as the lectotype...
s for most pre-existing Banksia taxa.