Banksia marginata

taxobox
name = Silver Banksia


regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
ordo = Proteales
familia = Proteaceae
genus = "Banksia"
species = "B. marginata"
binomial = Banksia marginata
binomial_authority = Cav.|

"Banksia marginata", commonly known as Silver Banksia, is a species of tree or woody shrub in the plant genus "Banksia", it reaches up to 8 m tall. It occurs throughout the south east corner of Australia, from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, to north of Armidale, New South Wales, including Tasmania, Flinders Island and King Island.

Description

Leaves of "B. marginata" are characteristically toothed in juvenile or younger leaves (3-7cm long), margins becoming entire with age with a truncate tip. Leaves also have sunken stomata. Inflorescences are an attractive palish yellow, cylindrical up to about 10cm tall; flowering occurs February-June. Floral remnants generally persist on the cone.

Taxonomy

A widely distributed and diverse plant, "B. marginata" was described independently and given many different names by early explorers. Synonyms include "Banksia depressa" R.Br., "Banksia microstachya" Cav., "Banksia insularis" R.Br., "Banksia ferrea" Vent. ex Spreng., "Banksia marcescens" Bonpl., "Banksia gunnii" Meisn., "Banksia australis" R.Br., and "Banksia patula" R.Br.

One aboriginal name given in the Jardwadjali language was "warock".cite book | author = Wesson, Sue C. | year = 2001 | title = Aboriginal flora and fauna names of Victoria: As extracted from early surveyors' reports | location = Melbourne | publisher = Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages | url = http://www.vaclang.org.au/admin/file/content9/c7/ff.pdf | accessdate = 2006-11-11]

Distribution and habitat

"B. marginata" is widespread in medium rainfall eucalypt forests across Victoria. It is a common understorey shrub, sometimes small tree (up to 8m high), in heathy and shrubby forests in part of its range.

Uses

Cultivation

"B. marginata" is generally fairly easy to grow in a well drained sunny position in the garden. Some varieties from drier areas seem to do poorly in areas of summer humidity.

Other Uses

*"B. marginata" is also used in Bonsai. [cite web | publisher = Australian National Botanic Gardens | title = Australian Native Plants as Bonsai | url = http://www.anbg.gov.au/bonsai/ | accessdate = 2006-11-14]
*"Mesostoa kerri", cause stem galls on "B. marginata" [CSIRO Publishing, Aust. Journal of Botany, volume 46 1998, Biology of Mesostoa kerri hi]

References

*Costermans, Leon (1994). Trees of Victoria and adjoining areas. Costermans Publishing, Frankston, Victoria.
*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

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