Meissner's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia facts for kids
Carl Meissner's way of grouping Banksia plants was shared in 1856. He wrote about it in a book called Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis. This was the first time anyone tried to organize the different types of Banksia plants in detail. Before this, Robert Brown had only put them into two main groups in 1810. Meissner's system was used until 1870, when George Bentham created a new one. Meissner's work was a great look at all the Banksia species known back then. However, his smaller groups were not always very clear or consistent.
Contents
What are Banksia Plants?
Banksia is a group of about 80 different species of plants. They belong to the Proteaceae plant family. These plants are famous Australian wildflowers and are also popular in gardens. You can easily spot them by their unique flower spikes or domes, and their woody "cones" that hold seeds.
Banksias grow in many shapes and sizes. Some are low-growing, woody shrubs, while others are tall trees that can reach up to 35 meters. You can find them almost everywhere in Australia, except in the driest areas.
Why Banksias are Important
Banksias produce a lot of nectar, which is a sweet liquid. This makes them a very important food source for animals that eat nectar. Animals like honeyeater birds and honey possums rely on them.
Banksias are also important for businesses. They are used in the plant nursery industry, where young plants are grown. They are also popular in the cut flower industry.
However, many Banksia species are in danger. Things like clearing land, frequent bushfires, and diseases threaten them. Because of this, some species are now considered rare or endangered.
How Banksias Were First Grouped
The first Banksia plants were collected in 1770. This happened during Lieutenant James Cook's trip to the Pacific Ocean. Sir Joseph Banks and Dr Daniel Solander, who were naturalists on the ship, found them.
By the time Meissner made his arrangement, 58 Banksia species were known. The most recent way of grouping them before Meissner was Robert Brown's system from 1830. Brown had divided Banksia into two main groups:
- Banksia verae: This meant "true banksia." It included all species that had the typical flower spike. This group was later called Eubanksia.
- Isostylis: This group only had one species, the B. ilicifolia. This plant is special because its flowers grow in a dome shape, not a spike.
Meissner's Way of Grouping Banksias
Meissner kept Brown's two main groups, Eubanksia and Isostylis. But he changed them from "subgenera" to "sections." He then divided the Eubanksia section even further into four smaller groups, which he called "series":
The B. ser. Abietinae group included only species with hooked styles (a part of the flower). However, the other three series were not as clearly defined. They contained a mix of different types of plants.
Here is a summary of how Meissner organized the Banksia plants:
- Banksia
- B. sect. Eubanksia
- B. ser. Abietinæ
- B. pulchella
- B. Meisneri
- B. sphærocarpa
- B. sphaerocarpa var. glabrescens (now B. incana)
- B. pinifolia (now B. leptophylla)
- B. nutans
- B. ericifolia
- B. spinulosa
- B. tricuspis
- B. ser Salicinæ
- B. cunninghamii (now B. spinulosa var. cunninghamii)
- B. collina (now B. spinulosa var. collina)
- B. occidentalis
- B. littoralis
- B. cylindrostachya (now B. attenuata)
- B. lindleyana
- B. marginata
- B. marginata var. Cavanillesii (now B. marginata)
- B. marginata var. microstachya (now B. marginata)
- B. marginata var. humilis (now B. marginata)
- B. depressa (now B. marginata)
- B. depressa var. subintegra (now B. marginata)
- B. patula (now B. marginata)
- B. australis (now B. marginata)
- B. Gunnii (now B. marginata)
- B. insularis (now B. marginata)
- B. integrifolia
- B. integrifolia var. minor (now B. integrifolia subsp. integrifolia)
- B. integrifolia var. major (now B. integrifolia subsp. integrifolia)
- B. integrifolia var. dentata (now B. robur)
- B. compar (now B. integrifolia subsp. compar)
- B. paludosa
- B. verticillata
- B. media
- B. attenuata
- B. elatior (now B. aemula)
- B. lævigata
- B. Hookeriana
- B. prionotes
- B. Menziesii
- B. ser. Quercinæ
- B. coccinea
- B. sceptrum
- B. Baueri
- B. ornata
- B. latifolia (now B. robur)
- B. marcescens (now B. praemorsa)
- B. oblongifolia
- B. serrata
- B. æmula
- B. Caleyi
- B. caleyi var. sinuosa (now B. caleyi)
- B. Lemanniana
- B. quercifolia
- B. dentata
- B. prostrata (now B. gardneri)
- B. Goodii
- B. barbigera
- B. repens
- B. Solandri
- B. solandri var. major (now B. solandri)
- B. ser. Dryandroideæ
- B. ser. Abietinæ
- B. sect. Isostylis
- B. sect. Eubanksia
Meissner's Lasting Impact
Meissner's way of grouping Banksia plants was used until 1870. That's when George Bentham published his new arrangement in a book called Flora Australiensis.
Today, Meissner's section Isostylis is still recognized. It is now a "subgenus" called Banksia subg. Isostylis. Bentham did not use Meissner's four series. However, the names of these series were later used again by Alex George in his own arrangement in 1891. All four names are still in use today. But their definitions and the plants included in them have changed a lot over time.
