Banksia sessilis var. cordata

taxobox
name = "Banksia sessilis" var. "cordata"


status = P4
status_system = DECF
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
ordo = Proteales
familia = Proteaceae
genus = "Banksia"
species = "B. sessilis"
variety = "B. sessilis" var. "cordata"
trinomial = "Banksia sessilis" var. "cordata"
trinomial_authority = (Meisn.) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele
synonyms = "Dryandra sessilis" var. "cordata" (Meisn.) A.S.George "Dryandra floribunda" var. "cordata" Meisn. "Dryandra floribunda" var. "major" Benth. "Dryandra" sp. 52 (T.Applin 6537)|

"Banksia sessilis" var. "cordata" is a variety of "Banksia sessilis" (Parrot Bush), with unusually large leaves and flower heads. It is a rare variety that is restricted to the extreme south-west corner of Western Australia.

Description

This variety is similar to other varieties of "B. sessilis", but has larger leaves; these may be up to six centimetres long and four centimetres wide in this variety, whereas in "B. sessilis" var. "sessilis" they are commonly two to three centimetres long. The leaves of this variety are also a darker green than the other varieties, and its flower heads are generally larger.cite book | first = Tony | last = Cavanagh | coauthords = Pieroni, Margaret | year = 2006 | title = The Dryandras | publisher = Melbourne: Australian Plants Society (SGAP Victoria); Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia | id = ISBN 1-876473-54-1] Flora of Australia Online | name = "Dryandra sessilis" var. "cordata" (Meisn.) A.S.George | id = 3532]

Taxonomy

[
Curtis's Botanical Magazine" in 1813, was attributed to "D. floribunda" var. "major" (syn. "B. sessilis" var. "cordata) by George Bentham in 1870.] This variety was first published as a variety of "Dryandra floribunda" (now "B. sessilis") by Carl Meissner in the second volume of "Plantae Preissianae", published in 1848. It was based on a type specimen collected by James Drummond; interestingly, this specimen was said to have been collected at the Swan River, where this variety does not now occur. Meissner did not explicitly give an etymology for the varietal epithet, but referred to the leaves as "cordatis",cite encyclopedia | first = Carl | last = Meissner | year = 1845 | title = Dryandra | editor = Lehmann, Johann | encyclopedia = Plantae Preissianae | volume = II | publisher = Meissner | location = Hamburg | url = http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/9228 | accessdate = 2008-06-01] Latin for "heart-shaped", and this is now universally recognised as the source of the name.

In 1870, George Bentham published what is now recognised as a synonym of this variety, as "D. floribunda" var. "major". Bentham's taxon was based on a specimen collected at Cape Naturaliste by Augustus Oldfield. He also attributed to this variety a painting of "D. floribunda" that appeared in "Curtis's Botanical Magazine" in 1813.cite encyclopedia | author = Bentham, George | year = 1870 | title = Dryandra | encyclopedia = Flora Australiensis | volume = Volume 5: Myoporineae to Proteaceae | pages = 562–584 | location = London | publisher = L. Reeve & Co.]

"Dryandra floribunda" having been overturned in favour of "Dryandra sessilis" in 1924, in 1996 Alex George transferred var. "cordata" from the former to the latter species.cite journal | first = Alex | last = George | year = 1996 | title = New taxa and a new infrageneric classification in "Dryandra" R.Br. (Proteaceae: Grevilleoideae) | journal = Nuytsia | volume = 10 | issue = 3 | pages = 313–408] The current name changed again in 2007, when Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele transferred "Dryandra" into "Banksia";cite journal | author = Mast, Austin R. and Kevin Thiele | year = 2007 | title = The transfer of Dryandra R.Br. to Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae) | journal = Australian Systematic Botany | volume = 20 | pages = 63–71 | doi = 10.1071/SB06016] thus the variety's current full name is "Banksia sessilis" var. "cordata" (Meisn.) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele.APNI | name = "Banksia sessilis" var. "cordata" (Meisn.) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele | id = 269985]

Distribution and habitat

"B. sessilis" var. "cordata" occurs only in the Warren region of the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia. It occurs in two disjoint areas: along the west coast between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin; and along the south coast between Point D'Entrecasteaux and Denmark. It grows in sand over limestone, amongst coastal heath.

Cultivation

This variety is little known in cultivation. It is suggested that cultivation requirements would be similar to the better-known "B. sessilis" var. "sessilis", but that this variety would be better suited to cooler, wetter areas.

Conservation

On the Department of Environment and Conservation's Declared Rare and Priority Flora List, "B. sessilis" var. "cordata" is rated "Priority 4 - Rare", meaning that it has been adequately surveyed, and does not appear to be threatened, even though it is rare.FloraBase | name = "Banksia sessilis" var. "cordata" (Meisn.) A.R.Mast & K.R.Thiele | id = 32078]

References

Further reading

External links

*
*
*