Banksia canei

Mountain banksia
Banksia canei inflorescence
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Banksia
Species:
B. canei
Binomial name
Banksia canei
Distribution of Banksia canei within New South Wales and Victoria, Australia

Banksia canei, commonly known as the mountain banksia,[3] is a species of shrub that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It is generally encountered as a many-branched shrub that grows up to 3 m (10 ft) high, with narrow leaves and the yellow inflorescences (flower spikes) appearing from late summer to early winter. The old flowers fall off the spikes and up to 150 finely furred follicles develop, which remain closed until burnt in a bushfire. Each follicle bears two winged seeds. Response to fire is poorly known, although it is thought to regenerate by seed. Birds such as the yellow-tufted honeyeater and various insects forage among the flower spikes. It is frost tolerant in cultivation, but copes less well with aridity or humidity and is often short-lived in gardens. One cultivar, Banksia 'Celia Rosser', was registered in 1978, but has subsequently vanished.[4]

Although no subspecies are recognised, four topodemes (geographically isolated populations) have been described, as there is significant variation in the shape of both adult and juvenile leaves between populations. Although superficially resembling B. marginata, it is more closely related to another subalpine species, B. saxicola.

  1. ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Iucnredlist.org. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Banksia canei". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference George96 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Banksia canei J.H.Willis". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 4 June 2022.