Banksia gardneri

taxobox
name = Prostrate Banksia


image_caption = "B. gardneri",
unusual black styles
near Albany, WA
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
ordo = Proteales
familia = Proteaceae
genus = "Banksia"
subgenus = "Banksia" subg. "Banksia"
sectio = "Banksia" sect. "Banksia"
series = "Banksia" ser. "Prostratae"
species = "B. gardneri"
binomial = Banksia gardneri
binomial_authority = A.S.George|

The Prostrate Banksia ("Banksia gardneri") is a species of prostrate shrub in the plant genus "Banksia". It occurs along the south coast of Western Australia. It was initially named "Banksia prostrata", but Alex George discovered that name was illegal because was already a valid synonym of "Pimelia prostrata". He broke his rule about never naming plants after people and named it after Charles Gardner in honour of his work on banksias. [cite journal | last = George | first = Alex | title = Banksias (Talk given at 1985 AGM):Part II | journal = Native Plants for NSW | volume = 21 | issue = 5 | pages = 11–14 | publisher = Australian Plants Society, NSW Region | date = 1986 | doi = | id = ]

Description

It is a slow growing prostrate woody shrub with thick horizontal stems and upright broadly roughly triangularly lobed leaves to 40cm high (though usually less) and 2 to 6 cm wide. The furry rusty brown flower spikes are cylindrical with cream, or rarely black styles. Flowering is in late spring. It is lignotuberorous and regenerates by resprouting after fire.

Distribution and habitat

It grows in sand or gravel between Denmark and Hopetoun.

Taxonomy

Three subspecies are recognised:
*"B. g. gardneri"
*"B. g. hiemalis"
*"B. g. brevidentata"

Cultivation

*"B. g. gardneri" is a slow growing shrub though fairly easy to grow. It is less vigorous than "Banksia blechnifolia" or "B. petiolaris".

References

*The genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)
*cite book | author = George, Alex | year = 1999 | chapter = Banksia | editor = Wilson, Annette (ed.) | title = Flora of Australia: Volume 17B: Proteaceae 3: Hakea to Dryandra | pages = 175–251 | publisher = CSIRO Publishing / Australian Biological Resources Study | id = ISBN 0-643-06454-0
*The Banksia Atlas

External links

*
*
*