Banksia canei
Mountain banksia | |
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Banksia canei inflorescence | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Proteales |
Family: | Proteaceae |
Genus: | Banksia |
Species: | B. canei
|
Binomial name | |
Banksia canei | |
Distribution of Banksia canei within New South Wales and Victoria, Australia |
Banksia canei, commonly known as the mountain banksia,[3] is a species of shrub that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It is generally encountered as a many-branched shrub that grows up to 3 m (10 ft) high, with narrow leaves and the yellow inflorescences (flower spikes) appearing from late summer to early winter. The old flowers fall off the spikes and up to 150 finely furred follicles develop, which remain closed until burnt in a bushfire. Each follicle bears two winged seeds. Response to fire is poorly known, although it is thought to regenerate by seed. Birds such as the yellow-tufted honeyeater and various insects forage among the flower spikes. It is frost tolerant in cultivation, but copes less well with aridity or humidity and is often short-lived in gardens. One cultivar, Banksia 'Celia Rosser', was registered in 1978, but has subsequently vanished.[4]
Although no subspecies are recognised, four topodemes (geographically isolated populations) have been described, as there is significant variation in the shape of both adult and juvenile leaves between populations. Although superficially resembling B. marginata, it is more closely related to another subalpine species, B. saxicola.
Description
Banksia canei grows as a woody shrub to 3 m (10 ft) in height, usually with many branches. Its
Taxonomy
Banksia canei was first described in 1967 by
The current
B. canei's placement within Banksia may be summarised as follows:
- Genus Banksia
- Subgenus Isostylis
- Subgenus Banksia
- Section Oncostylis
- Section Coccinea
- Section Banksia
- Series Grandes
- Series Banksia
- Series Crocinae
- Series Prostratae
- Series Cyrtostylis
- Series Tetragonae
- Series Bauerinae
- Series Quercinae
- Series Salicinae
- B. dentata – B. aquilonia – B. integrifolia – B. plagiocarpa – B. oblongifolia – B. robur – B. conferta – B. paludosa – B. marginata – B. canei – B. saxicola
Since 1998, American botanist
Distribution and habitat
Several disjunct populations of Banksia canei have been recorded across alpine areas of southeastern Australia, generally at altitudes of 500 to 1,000 m (1,600 to 3,300 ft) in northeastern Victoria and southeastern New South Wales. One outlier at a lower altitude has been found on land partly cleared for agriculture at 250 m (820 ft) elevation at Yowrie.[7] The species is listed as "Rare in Victoria" on the Department of Sustainability and Environment's Advisory List of Rare Or Threatened Plants In Victoria.[19] In a 1978 paper reviewing the species, Alf Salkin coined the term topodeme to indicate a geographically isolated population of plants,[8] derived from the Ancient Greek words topos "place" and deme "people" or "county (population)".[20] Salkin described four populations (topodemes), each found in granite-based rocky soils in subalpine regions, and isolated from one another by wide river valleys. They would have occupied lower altitudes at cooler geological periods and higher altitudes in warmer times.[21] Each of the main four populations varies from the others in their leaf morphology.[8] Salkin observed that as the habitat and environment was similar across the range, the differences were secondary to genetic drift, as certain traits have begun to dominate over others by chance as the populations begin to diverge genetically.[22]
Most populations are located south or east of the Great Dividing Range, the exception being the Snowy Mountains population. The Kybean Range population is contiguous, while the others are fragmented.[23] From west to east the populations are:
- The Wellington River form, in the Snowy Range from Mount Howitt southwards to an area between the Moroka and Barkly Rivers.[7] The Wonnangatta Mitchell system separates this form from the Wulgulmerang form to the east.[22] The margins of the adult leaves are prominently dentate (toothed), much more so than other forms which may have occasional 'teeth' here and there.[6] The flower has a distinctive blue-grey limb.[23]
- The Snowy Mountains form, found to the north of the Snowy Mountains and west of the Corryong in the Bogong Peaks.[7] This is separated by the Murray River to the south.[22] This form has the smallest infructescences, measuring 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 in) high and 3.5–4 cm (1.4–1.6 in) wide.[24] The adult leaves are 10 cm (3.9 in) long, while the flowers are small, with perianths only 1.6 cm (0.63 in) long.[8] Like those of the Wellington River form, the flower limbs are blue-grey.[23]
- The Wulgulmerang form, located to the north and east of Little River.[7] The flower limb is a more yellow-brown and the infructescences resemble those of B. marginata. It is found among granite rocks in association with the candlebark (Eucalyptus rubida).[23]
- The Kybean Range form, in southeastern New South Wales – located in the Kybean Range and Cooma.[7] The Snowy River separates this form from the Wulgulmerang form to the west.[22] This form has the largest flower spikes and infructescences,[23] measuring up to 14 cm (5.5 in) high and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide.[24] It has very short adult leaves, yet wide juvenile leaves that resemble Banksia integrifolia.[23]
There is one report of naturalisation in Western Australia, near Jerramungup, on a road verge.[10]
Ecology
Banksia flower spikes are important sources of nectar for mammals, insects and birds, particularly honeyeaters.[25] Animals recorded foraging among the flower spikes of B. canei include the yellow-tufted honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops), bees, wasps and ants.[7]
Banksia canei lacks a lignotuber and appears to regenerate from bushfire by seed, although its response to fire has been little studied. The follicles remain closed until burnt, although some do open spontaneously after five years or so.[10] The fungus Banksiamyces toomansis, of the order Helotiales, infects older cones and seed, and hence seed older than about five years is often not viable.[8] Plectronidium australiense is a species of anamorphic fungus that was recovered from a dead branch of B. canei at Healesville Sanctuary and described in 1986.[26]
Use in horticulture
Banksia canei is somewhat slow-growing in cultivation, and takes around five to seven years to flower from seed. Its furry-follicled fruiting cones are attractive, although generally obscured by foliage.
In 1975, as part of a study on the four populations of B. canei, Salkin carried out germination experiments, producing around a thousand seedlings. In January that year, two seedlings from the Wulgulmerang population displayed deeply lobed (pinnatisect) leaves and a prostrate habit. One died, but in April two seedlings from the Wellington River seed appeared which bore the same appearance. Both these younger seedlings died, but the one older plant survived. It was propagated and registered as a cultivar Banksia 'Celia Rosser' on 28 May 1978,[29] named in honour of Celia Rosser, an artist who has illustrated many banksias. It produced flower spikes 4 cm (1.6 in) high and 4 cm (1.6 in) wide, which made up for their small size by their abundance. Salkin felt its importance lay not in its horticultural potential but in its appearance in two geographically distant populations. He felt it represented the reappearance of an earlier (possibly ancestral) form, representing "allelomorphs all but lost".[30] However, the cultivar has since vanished.[27]
References
- ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Iucnredlist.org. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ "Banksia canei". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-86417-818-3.
- ^ "Banksia canei J.H.Willis". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f George, Alex S. (1981). "The Genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Nuytsia. 3 (3): 239–473.
- ^ a b Salkin, p. 170.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-644-07124-6.
- ^ .
- S2CID 198421723.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-643-06454-6.
- ^ ISSN 0005-0008.
- .
- ^ Salkin, p. 151.
- .
- doi:10.1071/SB97026.
- PMID 21665734.
- doi:10.1071/SB04015.
- doi:10.1071/SB06016.
- ISBN 978-1-74152-090-3. Archived from the original(PDF) on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-19-910207-5.
- ^ Salkin, p. 147.
- ^ a b c d Salkin, p. 148.
- ^ a b c d e f Salkin, Alf (1979). "Banksia canei J.H.Willis". Banksia Study Report (4): 43–46.
- ^ a b Salkin, p. 171.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-207-17277-9.
- doi:10.1016/s0007-1536(86)80028-6. Archived from the originalon 23 September 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-876473-68-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-85091-143-5.
- ^ Australian Cultivar Registration Authority. "Banksia 'Celia Rosser'". Descriptions of registered cultivars. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian National Herbarium. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ Salkin, p. 150.
Cited text
- Salkin, Abraham Isaac (Alf) (1979). "Variation in Banksia in Eastern Australia". (MSc thesis). Clayton, Victoria: Monash University. OCLC 225629311
External links
- "Banksia canei". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.