Banksia

Banksia
Temporal range: Paleogene–Recent
Banksia serrata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Subfamily: Grevilleoideae
Tribe: Banksieae
Genus: Banksia
L.f.
Type species
Banksia serrata
Diversity
About 170 species
Distribution of Banksia within Australia
Synonyms[1]

Banksia is a genus of around 170 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae.[1] These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes, and woody fruiting "cones" and heads.[2]: 1  Banksias range in size from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up to 30 metres (100 ft) tall. They are found in a wide variety of landscapes: sclerophyll forest, (occasionally) rainforest, shrubland, and some more arid landscapes, though not in Australia's deserts.

Heavy producers of nectar, banksias are a vital part of the food chain in the Australian bush. They are an important food source for nectarivorous animals, including birds, bats, rats, possums, stingless bees and a host of invertebrates. Further, they are of economic importance to Australia's nursery and cut flower industries. However, these plants are threatened by a number of processes including land clearing, frequent burning and disease, and a number of species are rare and endangered.

  1. ^ a b "Banksia L.f." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  2. ^ Banksias (Proteaceae) (PDF). Australian Plants Society NSW. 2021.