Banksia micrantha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banksia micrantha |
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| Habit near Lesueur National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Banksia
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| Species: |
micrantha
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Banksia micrantha is a type of small shrub found only in the southwest part of Western Australia. It's a low, spreading plant with thin, pointy leaves and pale yellow flower spikes. After flowering, it produces up to twenty-five seed pods, called follicles. This plant was first officially described by a botanist named Alex George in 1981.
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What Does It Look Like?
Banksia micrantha grows as a bushy shrub. It can reach about 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) tall and 120 centimeters (about 4 feet) wide. It has a special woody swelling underground called a lignotuber, which helps it survive fires.
Its branches often grow sideways, sometimes even underground at first. The stems are a bit hairy. The leaves are long and thin, like needles, measuring 10 to 30 millimeters (about 0.4 to 1.2 inches) long and 1 to 1.4 millimeters wide. They have a short stalk about 1.5 to 2 millimeters long. The edges of the leaves are tightly rolled under.
The flowers are a soft pale yellow color. They grow in a spike shape, which is 15 to 30 millimeters (about 0.6 to 1.2 inches) long. At the base of the flower head, there are small, hairy leaf-like parts called bracts. Each flower has a part called a perianth, which is 17 to 20 millimeters long. The pistil, which is the female part of the flower, is hooked and 19 to 23 millimeters long.
After the flowers, up to twenty-five egg-shaped seed pods, or follicles, form in each head. These pods are 23 to 27 millimeters long, 7 to 15 millimeters high, and 20 to 23 millimeters wide. They stay surrounded by the dried remains of the flowers.
How Was It Named?
Banksia micrantha was known by scientists since 1938. However, for a long time, it was thought to be just a type of Banksia sphaerocarpa. It wasn't until 1981 that Alex George officially described it as its own unique species. He did this in his detailed book, The genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae).
The name micrantha comes from two ancient Greek words. "Micro" means "small," and "anthos" means "flower." So, micrantha literally means "small flower," which describes its flower spikes.
Alex George placed B. micrantha into a group called Banksia subgenus Banksia because of its typical Banksia flower spike. He also put it in section Oncostylis because its flowers have hooked styles. Its closest plant relative is thought to be B. sphaerocarpa, also known as the fox banksia.
Where Does It Grow?
Banksia micrantha grows in a type of shrubland called kwongan. It likes sandy soil or sand over a rocky layer called laterite. You can find it on the gentle slopes of lateritic hills between the towns of Eneabba and Cervantes in Western Australia.
How Does It Survive?
This banksia plant is very good at surviving bushfires. It can regrow from its special underground woody base, the lignotuber. Also, its seed pods (follicles) stay closed until after a bushfire. The heat from the fire makes them open up, releasing the seeds so new plants can grow.
Is It Endangered?
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Banksia micrantha as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
Growing It in Gardens
If you want to grow Banksia micrantha from seeds, you don't need to do anything special to them. The seeds usually take about 19 to 21 days to sprout.
