''Banksia'' 'Waite Orange' is a

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

(in the

plant breeders' rights Plant breeders' rights (PBR), also known as plant variety rights (PVR), are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give the breeder exclusive control over the propagating material (including seed, cuttings, divisions, tissue ...

sense) of ''

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. ''Banksias'' range i ...

''. A

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

between '' B. hookeriana'' (Hooker's Banksia) and '' B. prionotes'' (Acorn Banksia), it is generally intermediate in

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...

between those two

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. It was bred in 1988 from an open pollination seedling of ''B. hookeriana'', during a breeding program conducted by Dr Margaret Sedgley of the Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology,

Waite Agricultural Research Institute The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

of the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. Three years later it was registered as a variety by Luminis Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the university; the registration was granted on 6 April 1992. It is claimed to be distinguishable as having "the following combination of characters: a perennial bushy scrub; inflorescence with buff perianths and bright orange style tips; mid green leaves; leaf width, leaf length, plant height and plant width all intermediate between those of Banksia hookeriana and Banksia prionotes." It produces larger

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s than either parent, and more of them, making it useful to the cut flower trade.

References

* * {{cite web , title = 'Waite Orange' , work = Plant Breeders Rights Database , url = http://pbr.ipaustralia.plantbreeders.gov.au/plant_detail.cfm?AID=1590743 , accessdate = 2006-11-22 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928071733/http://pbr.ipaustralia.plantbreeders.gov.au/plant_detail.cfm?AID=1590743 , archive-date = 2007-09-28 , url-status = dead, df = Waite Orange