Creeping banksia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Creeping Banksia |
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Banksia ser. Prostratae
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B. repens
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| Banksia repens Labill.
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The Banksia repens, also known as the Creeping Banksia, is a special type of shrub. It belongs to the Banksia plant family. You can find it growing along the southern coast of Western Australia. It stretches from D'Entrecasteaux National Park all the way to Mount Ragged.
If you want to grow it, its seeds do not need any special treatment. They usually sprout, or germinate, within 29 to 56 days.
Contents
What Does Creeping Banksia Look Like?
The Creeping Banksia is a low-growing shrub. Its stems spread out along the ground, often hidden underground. These stems are covered in a soft, velvety fur.
Its leaves are large and leathery. They stand upright on stalks that are about 5 to 15 centimeters (2–6 inches) tall. The leaves themselves can be quite big, from 18 to 40 centimeters (7–16 inches) long and up to 18 centimeters (7 inches) wide. They have many small, intricate lobes, which means they are deeply cut and divided.
The flowers appear from October to November. They grow in cylindrical shapes called inflorescences. These flower spikes stand tall above the leaves. They come in different shades of orange, tan, and pink. Each spike is usually 6 to 10 centimeters (2.4–4 inches) high. As the flowers get older, they turn a greyish color. The old flowers stay on the plant for a long time.
This plant has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it survive bushfires. After a fire, the plant can grow new shoots from this lignotuber.
Where Does Creeping Banksia Grow?
You can find the Creeping Banksia in sandy soils. It grows along the south coast of Western Australia. Its range is from Cranbrook to Israelite Bay.
How Was Creeping Banksia Discovered?
The first samples of B. repens were collected by a French botanist named Jacques Labillardière. He found them near a place now called Esperance, Western Australia. This happened on December 16, 1792. Labillardière was part of an expedition led by Bruni d'Entrecasteaux.
An interesting story happened during this trip. On December 14, the expedition's zoologist, Claude Riche, went ashore and got lost. A search the next day didn't find him. Many people thought he was gone forever. But Labillardière convinced the leader to search for one more day. Luckily, they found Riche! During this extra search, Labillardière also collected several important plant samples. These included the first samples of B. repens, along with other famous Australian plants like Kangaroo Paw and the West Australian Christmas Tree.
Labillardière officially described B. repens in his book in 1800. This book also included a beautiful drawing of the plant by Pierre-Joseph Redouté.
Later, another famous botanist, Robert Brown, also studied this plant. He collected plants in Australia in the early 1800s.
Banksia repens is part of a group of six closely related species. All of these plants grow low to the ground and are found only in Western Australia. Its scientific name, repens, comes from a Latin word meaning "creeping." This perfectly describes how the plant grows!
Images for kids
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An old drawing of B. repens by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, published in 1800.
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Close-up of the unique foliage (leaves) of the Creeping Banksia.
- George, Alex S. (1981). "The Genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)". Nuytsia 3 (3): 239–473.
- Taylor, Anne; Hopper, Stephen (1988). The Banksia Atlas (Australian Flora and Fauna Series Number 8). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0-644-07124-9.
