Banksia prionophylla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banksia prionophylla |
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B. prionophylla
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| Banksia prionophylla A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele
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Banksia prionophylla is a special type of shrub that only grows in Western Australia. It's quite rare, with only about 70 plants known to exist in one remote area. Even though it's rare, it's not considered endangered. This plant was first found in 2001. It was first named Dryandra prionotes in 2005, but then its name was changed to Banksia prionophylla in 2007.
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What Does Banksia prionophylla Look Like?
This shrub usually grows to be about 50 to 70 centimetres tall. It has a special woody base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after a bushfire.
Its leaves stand upright and are 9 to 15 centimetres long and 12 to 18 millimetres wide. The underside of the leaves feels woolly. Like other plants in its group, it has a dome-shaped flower cluster, called an inflorescence. This flower cluster grows at the end of a branch and has about 60 greenish-pink flowers.
How Was This Plant Named?
The first time Banksia prionophylla was collected was on October 10, 2001, by Fred and Jean Hort. More samples were collected in July 2002 by them, along with Alex George and Margaret Pieroni. For a while, it was known by a temporary name.
In 2005, Alex George officially described the species in a science journal called Nuytsia. He named it Dryandra prionotes. This name comes from the Greek words prion- (meaning "saw") and -otes (meaning "quality of"). He chose this name because the edges of its leaves look like a saw. George thought it was closely related to another plant, D. armata, which is now called Banksia armata.
Later, in 2007, most Dryandra species were moved into the Banksia group by scientists Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele. At first, D. prionotes was missed. But in December of that year, Thiele and Mast officially moved it into the Banksia group. They gave it a new name, B. prionophylla. A new name was needed because there was already a plant called Banksia prionotes.
Where Does Banksia prionophylla Grow?
This plant is only found in one small area in Western Australia. There are about 70 plants in total. They grow on a rocky ridge made of laterite rock, among other heath plants. This area is part of a quarry reserve in the Geraldton Sandplains bioregion.
To protect these rare plants, the exact location is kept secret. However, it's known to be south of the Cataby Roadhouse, near the Brand Highway in Western Australia.
How Does Banksia prionophylla Live?
Not much is known about how B. prionophylla lives and interacts with its environment. Like most plants in the Proteaceae family, it has special roots called proteoid roots. These roots have many tiny branches that form a mat just under the leaf litter. This helps the plant take in nutrients from the soil, especially in places where nutrients like phosphorus are scarce.
As mentioned, it also has a lignotuber. This woody base allows the plant to grow back after a bushfire, which is common in Australia. Scientists have also noticed that during hot weather, many of its flower clusters are damaged by insects. When it was first collected in 2002, almost all the flower clusters showed some insect damage.
Because there's only one small group of these plants, it's listed as "Priority One - Poorly known taxa" by Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation. This means it's a rare plant that needs to be watched closely.
Can You Grow Banksia prionophylla?
Very little is known about growing this plant in gardens. It's thought that it would prefer soil that drains well and a spot with lots of sunlight. Since it grows in its natural habitat, it probably can't handle very cold frost. It might also be able to survive dry periods once it's fully grown.
