''Banksia benthamiana'' is a species of shrub that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the Southwest of Western Australia. It has hairy, linear leaves, usually with scattered small teeth along the edges, and spikes of orange flowers.

Description

''Banksia benthamiana'' is a shrub that typically grows to a height of but does not form a lignotuber. Its bark is roughly flaking and grey and the branchlets are densely covered with rust-coloured hairs. The leaves are linear in shape, mostly long and wide on a petiole long. The sides of the leaves usually have small teeth long and apart along one half or more. Both surfaces of the leaves are hairy when young. The flowering spike is borne on a short side branch and is long and about wide when the flowers open. Each flower has a hairy

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepals when ...

long and a glabrous, curved

pistil Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

long. Flowering occurs from late November to January and up to 130 narrow elliptical, smooth, furry follicles long, high and wide, develop in each spike.

Taxonomy

''Banksia benthamiana'' was first formally described in 1964 by Charles Gardner in the ''

Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia The Royal Society of Western Australia (RSWA) promotes science in Western Australia. The RSWA was founded in 1914. It publishes the ''Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia'', and has awarded the Medal of the Royal Society of Western ...

''. The original

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

specimens were collected in January 1940 near Dalwallinu. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

honours George Bentham (1800–1884), author of '' Flora Australiensis''. This banksia has been traditionally considered to be closely related to '' B. ashbyi'', a larger shrub with larger, more deeply lobed leaves, bright orange flowers and wider, more rounded follicles. It is probably related also to '' B. audax'', a much smaller species with pubescent-hirsute perianth. Using morphological cladistics, Kevin Thiele placed it in a group with ''B. audax'' and '' B. laevigata'', based on very small distinctive seedling leaves, and linear pollen presenters. This grouping was supported in Mast and Givnish's 2002 molecular study. The position of ''Banksia ashbyi'' was unclear in this latter study but it did not appear to be closely related.

Distribution and habitat

This banksia is found in scattered populations between Mullewa and Kulja in the Southwest of Western Australia. It grows on plains in shrubland, sometimes as an emergent plant, on brownish yellow sandy loam or clay-loam, sometimes over

laterite Laterite is both a soil and a rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by ...

. Many of the populations are small and on road verges. The annual rainfall in these areas is around .

Conservation status

''Banksia benthamiana'' is currently classified as " Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia

Department of Parks and Wildlife The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and e ...

, meaning that is rare or near threatened.

Ecology

Volunteers for the 1985 Banksia Atlas reported that moths and birds have been seen pollinating it.

Use in horticulture

''Banksia benthamiana'' is almost unknown in cultivation and unsuitable for small gardens, but can be grown in a container and is fast growing. A slightly acid deep sand or gravel soil is desirable. Seeds do not require any treatment, and take 19 to 42 days to germinate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banksia benthamiana benthamiana Eudicots of Western Australia Plants described in 1964 Endemic flora of Western Australia