Banksia insulanemorecincta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banksia insulanemorecincta |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Banksia
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| Species: |
insulanemorecincta
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| Synonyms | |
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Dryandra insulanemorecincta A.S.George |
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The Banksia insulanemorecincta is a type of shrub found only in a small area of Western Australia. It's a bushy plant with leaves that have jagged edges. Its flowers are cream-coloured and dull brown. After flowering, it grows hairy, oval-shaped seed pods called follicles.
What does the Banksia insulanemorecincta look like?
This banksia is a bushy shrub that usually grows up to about 1 metre (3 feet) tall. Unlike some other plants, it does not have a special woody base (called a lignotuber) that helps it regrow after a fire.
Its leaves are shaped like a spear, wider at the middle and narrower towards the base. They are about 10 to 20 centimetres (4–8 inches) long and 1 to 2.4 centimetres (0.4–1 inch) wide. Each leaf has a short stem up to 1 centimetre (0.4 inches) long. The edges of the leaves have between eight and eleven teeth, each up to 6 millimetres (0.2 inches) long.
The plant's flowers grow in groups of about forty to fifty. At the base of each flower group are special leaf-like parts called bracts, which can be up to 1.5 centimetres (0.6 inches) long. The flowers themselves are cream-coloured and dull brown. Each flower has a tube-like part (called a perianth) that is 1.6 to 1.9 centimetres (0.6–0.7 inches) long. The part that holds the pollen (the pistil) is curved downwards and is 1.9 to 2.4 centimetres (0.7–0.9 inches) long.
This banksia flowers from June to September. After the flowers, it forms oval-shaped seed pods, or follicles, which are about 1 to 1.3 centimetres (0.4–0.5 inches) long.
How did the Banksia get its name?
This special banksia was found by Abe van de Sande, who worked for the West Australian government. It was officially described in 1999 by a scientist named Alex George. He gave it the name Dryandra insulanemorecincta. He found the first samples of this plant near Brookton in 1998.
The second part of its scientific name, insulanemorecincta, is made from three Latin words:
- insula means "an island"
- nemus means "a wood or forest"
- cinctus means "to girdle" or "surround"
This name describes where the plant grows, which is in a very specific, unusual forest habitat that feels like an "island" of trees.
