Banksia seminuda
| river banksia | |
|---|---|
 |
|
|
B.seminuda cultivated in Mount Barker, Western Australia |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Banksia |
| Subgenus: | Banksia subg. Banksia |
| Section: | Banksia sect. Oncostylis |
| Series: | Banksia ser. Spicigerae |
| Species: | B. seminuda |
| Binomial name | |
|
Banksia seminuda (A.S.George) B.Rye |
|
Banksia 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 (32°42′ S) to the Broke Inlet east of Denmark (34°57′ S). It is often mistaken for, and was originally considered a subspecies of, the Banksia littoralis (Swamp Banksia). Stephen Hopper described the subspecies remanens as a short-leaved shrubby form found in the coastal sands below granite outcrops in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park, however George does not feel this form warrants taxonomic recognition as it lies within the normal variability of the species and there was no clear distinction between it and the other populations of B. seminuda.
The river banksia generally grows as a tree up to 25 metres (80 ft) tall with a usually brown to grey trunk covered with a hard grey furrowed bark. The tree trunk is often straight and tall as the species generally grows in sheltered forest areas. The leaves are arranged on the stems in whorls. Measuring 5–12 centimetres (2–4 3⁄4 in) long and 1–1.8 centimetres (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) across, they are linear in shape with serrated margins. The upper leaf surface is finely furred becoming smooth, while the undersruface is covered in white fur.
Flowering occurs between late summer and late winter. The yellow (occasionally red) flower spikes grow up to 200 mm (8 in) high by 70 mm (3 in) wide, the fruiting cones can remain on the trees for many years after shedding the flowers early. Its leathery leaves are between 70 mm (3 in) and 120 mm (5 in) long with fine teeth, subspecies remanens leaves have few if any teeth except at the tips of the leaves.
The type specimen of Banksia seminuda was collected on 15 May 1973 in Nanga Brook, Western Australia by Alex George, who described it in 1981 as a subspecies of B. littoralis. He had published a taxonomic arrangement of Banksia in his landmark 1981 monograph The genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae).
...
Wikipedia