Banksia porrecta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banksia porrecta |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Banksia
|
| Species: |
porrecta
|
The Banksia porrecta is a special type of low-growing shrub found only in the southwestern part of Western Australia. It has fuzzy stems that grow underground. Its leaves are deeply divided, with many narrow, pointy parts on each side. This plant produces yellow flowers, usually in groups of 20 to 30. After flowering, it forms one or two egg-shaped seed pods.
What it Looks Like
Banksia porrecta is a shrub that grows very low to the ground. It has stems that are covered in fine hairs and grow beneath the soil.
Its leaves are quite long, about 15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches) in length and 2 to 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) wide. They grow on a stalk called a petiole, which is about 2 to 3.5 centimeters long and also hairy. Each leaf has between 30 and 40 narrow, triangular sections on both sides, each up to 1.6 centimeters long.
The plant produces 20 to 30 yellow flowers grouped together in a head. At the base of each flower head are special leaf-like structures called involucral bracts, which are up to 2.5 centimeters long. The main part of the flower, called the perianth, is about 3.7 to 4 centimeters long. The female part of the flower, the pistil, is also about 3.7 to 4 centimeters long.
Banksia porrecta flowers during July and August. After flowering, one or two egg-shaped seed pods, called follicles, form in each flower head. These pods are about 1.1 to 1.5 centimeters long.
How it Got its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1996 by a scientist named Alex George. He originally named it Dryandra porrecta. He published his description in a science journal called Nuytsia. He found the plant near a place called Woodanilling in 1986.
The second part of its name, porrecta, comes from a Latin word meaning "to spread out" or "to extend." This describes how the plant grows low and spreads along the ground.
Later, in 2007, two other scientists, Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele, moved all the plants from the Dryandra group into the Banksia group. That's why this plant is now known as Banksia porrecta.
Where it Lives
Banksia porrecta grows in areas of low kwongan, which is a type of shrubland found in Western Australia. It often grows alongside sedges (grass-like plants) and mallee eucalypts (a type of eucalyptus tree that grows with multiple stems from the ground). You can find this plant in different spots between Woodanilling and Tenterden.
Its Environment
Scientists have studied how climate change might affect this plant. They found that the area where Banksia porrecta can grow might shrink by 50% to 80% by the year 2080. This depends on how much the climate changes.
Conservation Status
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given Banksia porrecta a special status called "Priority Four." This means the plant is considered rare or close to being threatened. It needs to be watched carefully to make sure its numbers don't drop too low.
