Banksia seneciifolia facts for kids
Banksia seneciifolia is a unique type of shrub that grows in the shape of a column. It is found only in the southwest part of Western Australia. This plant has long, deeply lobed leaves and bright yellow flowers. These flowers grow in groups of about 25. After flowering, it produces small, egg-shaped seed pods called follicles.
Quick facts for kids Banksia seneciifolia |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Banksia
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| Species: |
seneciifolia
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What Does It Look Like?
Banksia seneciifolia is a shrub that grows in a column shape. It can reach a height of about 0.6 to 1.0 meter (2 to 3 feet). This plant does not have a special woody base called a lignotuber.
Its leaves are long and narrow, measuring 30 to 50 millimeters (1.2 to 2 inches) long. They are also 5 to 15 millimeters (0.2 to 0.6 inches) wide. Each leaf has a stalk, or petiole, up to 15 millimeters long. The leaves have two to five narrow, finger-like parts on each side. These parts can be up to 9 millimeters long.
About 25 yellow flowers grow together in a cluster, called a head. The base of each flower head has special hairy leaves called involucral bracts. These bracts are long and pointed, up to 17 millimeters. Each flower's outer part, the perianth, is 12 to 14 millimeters long and curves downwards. The female part of the flower, the pistil, is 17 to 19 millimeters long and also curves downwards.
This plant usually flowers between July and August. After flowering, only one narrow, egg-shaped seed pod forms in each flower head. These pods are 7 to 9 millimeters long.
How It Got Its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1830 by a botanist named Robert Brown. He named it Dryandra seneciifolia. He published his description in a book called Supplementum primum Prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae. The plants he studied were collected by William Baxter in 1829. They were found near King George's Sound.
The second part of its name, seneciifolia, tells us something about its leaves. It comes from the plant genus Senecio and the Latin word -folius, which means "leaved." So, seneciifolia means "with leaves like a Senecio plant."
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 seneciifolia.
Where It Lives
Banksia seneciifolia grows in a special type of Australian bushland. This area is called mallee-kwongan. It is found in the Stirling Range National Park in Western Australia. There are also old records from before 1900 that show it grew as far south as Albany.
Is It Protected?
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given this banksia a special classification. It is listed as "Priority Four." This means that the plant is considered rare or almost threatened. It needs to be watched and protected to make sure it continues to grow in the wild.
