''Banksia sessilis'' var. ''flabellifolia'' is a variety of ''

Banksia sessilis ''Banksia sessilis'', commonly known as parrot bush, is a species of shrub or tree in the plant genus ''Banksia'' of the family Proteaceae. It had been known as ''Dryandra sessilis'' until 2007, when the genus '' Dryandra'' was sunk into ''Ba ...

'' (parrot bush).

Description

It grows as a shrub up to five metres high. Unlike other varieties of ''B. sessilis'', it has hairless stems. The leaves are fan shaped, with a long, toothless lower margin, and a toothed end. As such its leaves are quite similar to some of those of ''B. sessilis'' var. ''cygnorum'', but are larger, being up to four centimetres long and 3.5 centimetres wide. They also lack lobes at the base. As with other varieties of ''B. sessilis'', the flowers are greenish-yellow. Each head contains around 90 flowers.

Taxonomy

This variety was first published by

Alex George Alexander or Alex George may refer to: *Alex George (botanist) (born 1939), Australian botanist * Alexander L. George (1920–2006), American political scientist * Alexander George (philosopher), American philosopher *Alex George (motorcyclist), Sc ...

in 1996, based on a specimen he collected on 11 August 1993 on West Binnu Road, 4.4 kilometres east of Yeringa South Road, north-north-west of Northampton, Western Australia. The varietal epithet is from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''flabellum'' ("fan") and ''folium'' ("leaf"), and refers to the fan-shaped leaves characteristic of this variety. The name given at the time was ''Dryandra sessilis'' var. ''flabellifolia'', and this stood until 2007, when Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele transferred ''

Dryandra ''Banksia'' ser. ''Dryandra'' is a series of 94 species of shrub to small tree in the plant genus ''Banksia''. It was considered a separate genus named ''Dryandra'' until early 2007, when it was merged into ''Banksia'' on the basis of extensiv ...

'' into '' Banksia''; thus the variety's current full name is ''Banksia sessilis'' var. ''flabellifolia'' (A.S.George) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele. In 1999, George placed it between ''B. sessilis'' var. ''sessilis'' and ''B. sessilis'' var. ''cordata'' in phyletic order.

Distribution and habitat

''B. sessilis'' var. ''flabellifolia'' grows in both deep sand and on

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 ...

, between Geraldton and Kalbarri inland to

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

and south as far as Moora, in the

South West Botanical Province Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna. The region is also known as the Southwest Aus ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

Cultivation

This variety is little known in cultivation. It is suggested that cultivation requirements would be similar to the better-known ''B. sessilis'' var. ''sessilis'', but that this variety would be better suited to hotter, drier coastal areas.

References

External links

* * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q4856714 sessilis var. flabellifolia Eudicots of Western Australia Endemic flora of Western Australia