Banksia biterax facts for kids

Banksia biterax is a type of bushy plant, or shrub, that grows only in Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area. It has stems covered in tiny hairs, leaves with deep, saw-like edges, and flower spikes that can hold up to 200 pale to dark brown flowers.

What Does Banksia biterax Look Like?

Banksia biterax is a thick, round, and bushy shrub. It usually grows to be about 1–2.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 8 ft 2 in) tall. Its stems are hairy, but it does not have a special woody base called a lignotuber. A lignotuber helps some plants regrow after a fire.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are long and narrow, like a line. They can be 150–350 mm (5.9–13.8 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. Each leaf sits on a small stalk called a petiole, which is about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. The edges of the leaves are deeply cut, almost to the middle vein. They have between 60 and 110 triangle-shaped parts, or lobes. The underside of the leaves feels soft and woolly because of tiny hairs.

The flowers grow in spikes on short side branches. Each spike can have between 150 and 200 flowers. These flowers are pale to dark brown. Each flower has a part called a perianth, which is about 25–27 mm (0.98–1.06 in) long. It also has a cream-colored pistil, which is the female part of the flower, about 28–30 mm (1.1–1.2 in) long.

When Does it Flower?

Banksia biterax usually flowers from May or July until October. After flowering, the plant produces an egg-shaped fruit called a follicle. These follicles are about 15 mm (0.59 in) long.

How Banksia biterax Got Its Name

This plant was first described in 1830 by a botanist named Robert Brown. He gave it the name Dryandra baxteri.

Changing Names

Later, in 2007, two scientists, Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele, moved all the plants from the Dryandra group into the Banksia group. But there was already a plant called Banksia baxteri.

To avoid confusion, Mast and Thiele chose a new name for this plant. They picked "biterax," which is an anagram of "baxteri." An anagram means the letters of one word are rearranged to form another word. So, "biterax" uses the same letters as "baxteri"!

Where Banksia biterax Grows

Banksia biterax grows in a type of shrubland called kwongan. It also grows in eucalyptus woodlands. You can find it near the town of Busselton in Western Australia. It also grows in the area between the Stirling Range and Albany.