Banksia stenoprion facts for kids

The Banksia stenoprion is a special type of plant called a prostrate shrub. This means it's a low-growing bush that spreads out along the ground. It is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia, making it endemic to that area. This unique plant has short stems that grow underground. Its leaves are deeply cut into triangular shapes, and its flowers can be golden, mauve, or purple. These flowers grow in groups of up to ninety. After flowering, it produces egg-shaped fruits called follicles.

What it Looks Like

Banksia stenoprion is a low-growing shrub with short stems that stay hidden underground. These underground stems help the plant survive fires. Its leaves are shaped like a "V" and are deeply divided into many narrow, triangular parts. Each leaf can be about 12 to 20 centimeters (5 to 8 inches) long and 3 to 9 millimeters (0.1 to 0.4 inches) wide. The leaf stem, called a petiole, is about 1 to 3 centimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long. Each side of a leaf has between 40 and 85 small, pointed sections.

The flowers of this banksia are very colorful, appearing in shades of gold, mauve (a pale purple), or purple. They grow in round groups, with each group holding between 60 and 90 individual flowers. At the base of these flower heads are special leaves called involucral bracts, which are covered in rusty-colored hairs and are about 2 to 2.5 centimeters (0.8 to 1 inch) long. The flower's outer parts, called the perianth, are about 2.8 to 3.5 centimeters (1.1 to 1.4 inches) long. The pistil, which is the female part of the flower, is about 3.8 to 4.1 centimeters (1.5 to 1.6 inches) long. This plant usually blooms from June to August. After the flowers fade, they form egg-shaped fruits called follicles, which are about 1.2 to 1.5 centimeters (0.5 to 0.6 inches) long and mostly smooth.

Its Name and History

This plant was first officially described in 1855 by a Swiss botanist named Carl Meissner. He gave it the name Dryandra stenoprion. His description was published in a science journal called Hooker's Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany. The plant samples he used were collected by another botanist, James Drummond.

Later, in 2007, two scientists named Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele decided to move all plants from the Dryandra group into the Banksia group. This is why the plant's name was changed to Banksia stenoprion.

Where it Lives

Banksia stenoprion grows in a specific area of Western Australia. You can find it from Cockleshell Gully, which is near Mount Lesueur, all the way down to a town called Badgingarra. It grows in a type of shrubland habitat unique to Western Australia, known as kwongan. This is an area with sandy soil and many different kinds of shrubs and wildflowers.

How it's Protected

The good news is that the Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified this banksia as "not threatened." This means that currently, there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not in danger of disappearing.