''Banksieaeformis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

that encompasses

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

species only known from fossil leaves that can be attributed to the

Proteaceae The Proteaceae form a family of flowering plants predominantly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises 83 genera with about 1,660 known species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae, they make up the order Pro ...

tribe

Banksieae The Grevilleoideae are a subfamily of the plant family Proteaceae. Mainly restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, it contains around 46 genus, genera and about 950 species. Genera include ''Banksia'', ''Grevillea'', and ''Macadamia''. Descriptio ...

, but cannot be attributed to an extant (living) genus. Unlike those classified in the related genus ''

Banksieaephyllum ''Banksieaephyllum'' is a plant genus that encompasses organically preserved fossil leaves that can be attributed to the Proteaceae tribe Banksieae, but cannot be attributed to a genus. Before 1950, many fossil leaves were attributed to the gen ...

'', the leaves do not have their cuticular architecture preserved. The genus was defined by botanists Bob Hill and David Christophel in 1988 to distinguish banksia-like leaves that had been organically preserved from those that had not. The two authors designated ''

Banksieaeformis decurrens ''Banksieaeformis'' is a genus that encompasses plant species only known from fossil leaves that can be attributed to the Proteaceae tribe Banksieae, but cannot be attributed to an extant (living) genus. Unlike those classified in the related gen ...

'' as the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

. Recovered from middle Eocene deposits at Maslin Bay in South Australia, it is known from a single leaf, 7 cm long and 1 cm wide. The leaf has entire margins in its basal half and pinnate lobes pointed apically in its apical half, which resembles the leaves of the fossil species ''

Banksieaephyllum cuneatum ''Banksieaephyllum'' is a plant genus that encompasses organically preserved fossil leaves that can be attributed to the Proteaceae tribe Banksieae, but cannot be attributed to a genus. Before 1950, many fossil leaves were attributed to the gen ...

'' and '' B. incisum'', as well as the living species ''

Banksia grandis ''Banksia grandis'', commonly known as bull banksia or giant banksia, is a species of common and distinctive tree in the south-west of Western Australia. The Noongar peoples know the tree as beera, biara, boongura, gwangia, pira or peera. It ...

'', '' B. baxteri'' and '' B. drummondii''. However, the overall shape of the leaf does not resemble any living species. ''

Banksieaeformis dentatus ''Banksieaeformis'' is a genus that encompasses plant species only known from fossil leaves that can be attributed to the Proteaceae tribe Banksieae, but cannot be attributed to an extant (living) genus. Unlike those classified in the related ge ...

'' was described by Hill and Christophel from Late Eocene-Oligocene deposits from Cethana in northern Tasmania. These leaves are around 6 cm long and 1 cm wide, and have serrated margins, and resemble the living species ''

Banksia serrata ''Banksia serrata'', commonly known as the saw banksia, the old man banksia, the saw-tooth banksia or the red honeysuckle and as wiriyagan by the Cadigal people, is a species of woody shrub or tree of the genus ''Banksia'', in the family Prote ...

'' and '' B. burdettii''. The venation is similar to the fossil species '' Banksieaephyllum attenuatum'' and '' B. fastigiatum'', though these are a different shape. Researchers David Greenwood, Peter Haines and David Steart named three more species from Central Australia in 2001: ''

Banksieaeformis serratus ''Banksieaeformis'' is a genus that encompasses plant species only known from fossil leaves that can be attributed to the Proteaceae tribe Banksieae, but cannot be attributed to an extant (living) genus. Unlike those classified in the related ge ...

'', recovered from Paleogene strata at Glen Helen near Alice Springs, resembles the living ''Banksia serrata'', ''

Banksieaeformis langii ''Banksieaeformis'' is a genus that encompasses plant species only known from fossil leaves that can be attributed to the Proteaceae tribe Banksieae, but cannot be attributed to an extant (living) genus. Unlike those classified in the related ge ...

'', recovered from three sites (Stuart Creek, Woomera and Jacks Hill) in northern South Australia, has long narrow lobed leaves at least 8.5 cm long and only 1.2-1.6 cm wide resembling ''Banksia formosa'', and ''

Banksieaeformis praegrandis ''Banksieaeformis'' is a genus that encompasses plant species only known from fossil leaves that can be attributed to the Proteaceae tribe Banksieae, but cannot be attributed to an extant (living) genus. Unlike those classified in the related ge ...

'', also from South Australia, has large leaves with long narrow widely spaced lobes reminiscent of ''

Banksia chamaephyton ''Banksia chamaephyton'', commonly known as the fishbone banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has prostrate, underground stems, pinnatipartite leaves, cream-coloured and brown flowers arranged in spikes surrou ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16975045 Proteaceae Proteales of Australia Prehistoric angiosperm genera Extinct flora of Australia Eocene plants Oligocene plants Proteaceae genera