Banksia plumosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banksia plumosa |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Banksia
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| Species: |
plumosa
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The Banksia plumosa is a type of shrub that grows only in Western Australia. It has stems covered in fine hairs. Its leaves are long and narrow, with many triangular-shaped parts. This plant produces creamy-yellow flowers that grow in clusters of up to eighty. After flowering, it forms egg-shaped seed pods called follicles.
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What it Looks Like
Banksia plumosa is a shrub that usually grows up to 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) tall. Its stems are covered in fine hairs. Unlike some other plants, it does not grow a special woody base underground that helps it regrow after a fire.
Leaves
The leaves of Banksia plumosa are long and narrow. They can be between 80 and 300 millimeters (about 3 to 12 inches) long. They are also 7 to 18 millimeters (about 0.3 to 0.7 inches) wide. Each leaf sits on a small stalk called a petiole, which is 5 to 20 millimeters long. The leaves have between twenty-five and forty triangular-shaped sections on each side.
Flowers and Fruit
The plant produces creamy-yellow flowers. These flowers grow in clusters, with forty-five to eighty flowers in each cluster. At the base of each flower cluster are hairy, linear bracts (leaf-like structures) up to 30 millimeters long.
The main part of the flower, called the perianth, is 16 to 20 millimeters long. The pistil, which is the female part of the flower, is 19 to 27 millimeters long and curves downwards. Banksia plumosa can flower at any time of the year, from January to December.
After flowering, the plant forms egg-shaped seed pods, known as follicles. These pods are curved. Each flower cluster usually produces only one to three follicles. The follicles are 10 to 15 millimeters long and 7 to 15 millimeters wide.
How it Got its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1810 by a botanist named Robert Brown. He named it Dryandra plumosa. He published his description in a scientific journal called Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. The plant material he studied was found near a place called Lucky Bay.
Meaning of the Name
The second part of its scientific name, plumosa, comes from a Latin word. This word means "covered with feathers." It refers to the feathery look of the bracts (leaf-like structures) on the plant.
Subspecies
In 1996, another botanist named Alex George described two different types, or subspecies, of Dryandra plumosa:
- Dryandra plumosa subsp. plumosa
- Dryandra plumosa subsp. denticulata
The subspecies denticulata is different because its leaves are thinner. Their edges are only slightly turned downwards, not prominently. This subspecies is only found in the Stirling Range National Park.
Later, in 2007, two other scientists, Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele, moved all Dryandra plants into the Banksia group. So, Dryandra plumosa became Banksia plumosa. The subspecies were also renamed Banksia plumosa subsp. plumosa and Banksia plumosa subsp. denticulata. These names are now accepted by the Australian Plant Census.
Where it Grows
Banksia plumosa grows in a type of shrubland called kwongan. It often grows alongside mallee eucalypts, which are eucalyptus trees that grow as multi-stemmed shrubs. You can find this plant between West Mount Barren, Lucky Bay, and further inland to Chillinup. These areas are all within the Esperance Plains biogeographic region of Western Australia.
Environmental Impact
Scientists have studied how climate change might affect Banksia plumosa. They found that the area where this plant can grow might shrink. By the year 2080, its habitat could become 30% to 80% smaller. This depends on how severe climate change becomes.
Conservation Status
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plant populations. They have listed Banksia plumosa and B. plumosa subsp. plumosa as "not threatened." This means they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
However, the subspecies B. plumosa subsp. denticulata is listed as "Priority Four." This means it is rare or nearly threatened. It needs to be watched carefully to make sure its population stays healthy.
