Banksia

Banksia is a genus of plants common to Australia, they were named after Joseph Banks. The Banksia are noted for their unique flowering.

Banksia
Banksia prionotes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Banksia Linnaeus
Diversity
about 170 species

Banksia flower spike

Books on Banksia

It is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. As Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants, they are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones". They can vary from woody shrubs to trees up to 30 metres tall. They are generally found in a wide variety of landscapes: (occasionally) rainforest, shrubland, and some more arid landscapes, though not in Australia's deserts.

They produce plenty of nectar,and are a vital part of the food chain in the Australian bush. They are an important food source for all sorts of nectariferous animals, including birds, bats, rats, possums and a host of invertebrates. Also, they are of economic importance to Australia's nursery and cut flower industries.

Banksia plants are threatened by land clearing, frequent burning and disease, and a number of species are rare and endangered.

Further reading

• Boland D.J.; et al. (1984). Forest trees of Australia, 4th ed, revised and enlarged. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia. ISBN 0-643-05423-5..
• George A.S. (1999). "Banksia". In Wilson, Annette (ed.). Flora of Australia: Volume 17B: Proteaceae 3: Hakea to Dryandra. CSIRO Publishing / Australian Biological Resources Study. pp. 175–251. ISBN 0-643-06454-0.
• Harden, Gwen (2002). "Banksia". In Harden, Gwen (ed.). Flora of New South Wales: volume 2 (revised ed.). New South Wales University Press, Kensington. pp. 82–86. ISBN 0-86840-156-0.
• Thiele, Kevin; Ladiges, Pauline Y. (1996). "A cladistic analysis of Banksia (Proteaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 9 (5): 661–733. doi:10.1071/SB9960661.

Other websites

• The Banksia Page Archived 2007-09-01 at the Wayback Machine of ASGAP
• Banksia Study Group Archived 2007-09-01 at the Wayback Machine of ASGAP