Banksia lanata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banksia lanata |
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| Banksia lanata at Coomallo | |
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Banksia
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| Species: |
lanata
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Banksia lanata is a special type of shrub. It only grows in a small area of Western Australia. This plant has long, thin leaves. Its flowers are pale cream-coloured and grow in a cluster. Later, up to fifty seed pods, called follicles, can form in each cluster.
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What Does Banksia lanata Look Like?
Banksia lanata is a shrub that spreads out. It usually grows to about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. Its stems are a bit hairy. This plant does not have a special woody lump underground called a lignotuber.
Its leaves are long and narrow, like lines. They are usually 30 to 100 millimeters (1 to 4 inches) long. Each leaf is about 1 millimeter wide. When the leaves are young, they are hairy.
The flowers grow in a head, which is a tight cluster. This flower head is about 30 to 50 millimeters (1 to 2 inches) long. At the bottom of the flower head are white, woolly-hairy parts called bracts.
The flowers themselves are pale cream. Sometimes they can be a light brown colour. Each flower has a purple part called a style. The flowers are hairy and have a hooked pistil, which is part of the flower that receives pollen.
Banksia lanata flowers bloom from October to January. After flowering, the plant forms seed pods. These pods are shaped like an oval. They are 12 to 30 millimeters long, 4 to 11 millimeters high, and 6 to 12 millimeters wide. Up to fifty of these pods can grow in one flower head. They stay closed until a bushfire happens, which helps them open and release the seeds.
How Was Banksia lanata Named?
The plant Banksia lanata was officially described in 1981. A botanist named Alex George gave it its formal name. He found specimens of the plant near Eneabba in 1971.
The second part of its name, lanata, is a Latin word. It means "woolly." This name refers to the woolly hairs found on the bracts at the base of the flower heads.
Where Does Banksia lanata Grow?
This special banksia plant only grows in a specific area of Western Australia. You can find it between Arrowsmith Lake, Coomallo Creek, and Tathra National Park. This area is part of the Geraldton Sandplains region. It is quite common in this small part of the world.
Is Banksia lanata in Danger?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife checks on plants. They have classified Banksia lanata as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
Images for kids
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Banksia lanata flowers at Coomallo
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Banksia lanata growing near Eneabba
- Taylor, Anne; Hopper, Stephen (1988). The Banksia Atlas (Australian Flora and Fauna Series Number 8). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-07124-9.
