Banksia epica
Inflorescence of Banksia epica
The plant belongs to the genus Banksia Banksia epica in the family of the silver tree plants ( Proteaceae ). It grows as a shrub on the south coast of the Australian state of Western Australia. There are only known two isolated occurrence, both in the western section of the Great Australian Bight. The populations growing on dunes of quartz sand, above a cliff coast, in a heathland.
Although probably already saw Edward John Eyre this Banksia species in 1841, it took until 1973, when it was first collected. In 1988, she was described as a distinct species. It was then published not much about this style, so that the knowledge of the environmental credentials or suitability are limited as an ornamental plant. Along with the closely related, much more well known and frequently cultivated Banksia media it is classified within the genus Banksia in the Cyrtostylis series.
Description
Banksia epica grows as a densely branched, spreading shrub, with plant height of 0.3 to 3.5 meters. The bark is gray and cracked. The alternate and arranged almost whorled at the branch tips, short -stalked leaves are dark green in color, they are spatulate with a length of 15 to 50 millimeters and a width of 6 to 15 millimeters. The leaf margin is serrated. The petiole is 2-8 mm long.
The flowers are - characteristic of Banksia - combined in a flask-shaped inflorescence, he is terminally on the branches. It measures 9 to 17 inches in length with a diameter of about 6 centimeters. The two flowers are paired together, several hundred of these flowers pairs are spirally arranged on the lignified inflorescence axis. The flowers are yellow or cream-colored, the perianth consists of four fused into a tube bloom cladding. The long, thin pen is, as usual in this section of the genus Banksia, straight and not curved hook-shaped. Still in the bud pollen is unloaded to a certain gray- green or brownish-colored body of the pen, similar to Banksia robur. Open up the flower buds, the stylus comes out with Scar and the pollen.
At the lignified inflorescence axis, up to 50 follicles develop. Parts of the flower stick for a long time and give the fruit stand the look of a hairy stud. The beautiful violet colored follicles have a length of 13 to 20 millimeters and height of 7 to 10 mm, a width of 6 to 9 millimeters. The seeds are 2.2 to 2.4 inches long.
Banksia epica looks very similar to the closely related Banksia media. Distinguishing features are the larger in Banksia epica flowers and slightly shorter blades. The dried flowers residues at the fruit stand are rolled and have upwards while they are directed at Banksia media straight and down.
Botanical history
The first European to see Banksia epica, was probably Edward John Eyre, who explored the area first. He reported on 1 May 1841 by " crippled copies " of the genus Banksia, while he was traveling in the western part of the Great Australian Bight:
" One circumstance in our route to-day cheered me greatly, and led me to expect some Shortly important and decisive change in the character and formation of the country. It was the appearance for the first time of the Banksia, a shrub Which I had never before found to the westward of Spencer 's Gulf, but Which I knew to abound in the vicinity of King George 's Sound, and did description of country gene rally. Those only who have Looked out with the eagerness and anxiety of a person in my situation, to note any change in the vegetation or physical appearance of a country, can appreciate the degree of satisfaction with Which I Recognised and welcomed the first appearance of the Banksia. Isolated as it what amidst the scrub, and insignificant as the stunted specimens were did I first met with, They led to inference of Deja Could not be mistaken in, and added, in a tenfold degree, to the interest and expectation with Which every mile of our route had now become invested. "
" A fact enjoyed myself today on our trip special and made me hope for an early, important and significant change in the character of the landscape. This was the first appearance of Banksia, a shrub, which I had never found west of Spencer Gulf, of which I knew that he sound and similar tracts of land often occurs near the King George. Only someone who looked at every change of vegetation and structure of the country with the same anxious expectation as I did, can measure the degree of joy when I saw the first specimens of Banksia and welcomed. Chance rising from low bushes, crippled and unimpressive as the first shrubs that I encountered, were, they nevertheless led me to a safe conclusion and tenfold the attention and hope with which we are now considered every mile of our route. "
It is believed that Eyre sailed approximately at the level of the sandy coastline of the Toolinna Bay, when he wrote that. B. and B. epica media are the only Banksia species that occur there, both of which correspond in shape and habitat Eyres description. Since he did not collect specimens, one can not say exactly which of the two types he saw.
The first collection for a herbarium was made in October 1973. At that time, Ernest Charles Nelson traveled the Toolinna Bay to collect plants for the taxonomic treatment of the genus Adenanthos. He was also interested in other species that have a disjunct distribution there and eventually garnered a number of different plant species. On October 22, he collected a abgeblühtes copy of B. epica, but it falsely identified as B. media and put it under that name in the Herbarium in Canberra from.
Two volunteers of the project "The Banksia Atlas ", John Falconer and Lalage from Esperance, 1985 came to the conclusion that could distinguish three Banksia species in the area of Point Culver, not just two. In 1986, she traveled to this area again and gathered leaves and old inflorescences of the plants that they thought was a not yet described species. The plant parts indicated actually points to an unknown species, but were not adequate for a scientific publication. In May of the following year John Falconer drove over 2000 km on gravel roads to get to fresh flowers and fruit of the unknown plant.
Alexander Segger George prepared the scientific description of the species. During his studies he came to the realization that the data collected by Nelson at the Toolinna Bay plants belong to this type. Since he had no specimens of Banksia media from the area of Toolinna Bay known, he therefore concluded that only Banksia epica vorkomme there and Eyre in 1841 bushes of Banksia epica seen. The description of the species was published in 1988. George chose the name epica in allusion to the two " epic " Travel by Eyre and Falconer. The complete scientific name is Banksia epica ASGeorge Later it turned out that both species, Banksia Banksia epica and media occur at the Toolinna Bay.
System
George turned Banksia epica subg in the subgenus Banksia. Banksia, because the inflorescence corresponds to the typical of the subgenus; sect in the section Banksia. Banksia because the stylus is even; and there in the series Banksia ser. Cyrtostylis due to the narrow flowers. As a closely related species he suspected Banksia Banksia praemorsa and media, these two have shorter flowers and the location of the stylus, which carries pollen, is smaller than in Banksia epica. Banksia praemorsa has also hairless petals, Banksia media has larger, more corrugated sheets.
Richard Kevin Thiele and Pauline Yvonne Chocoholics 1996 published a cladistic analysis of morphological characters of the genus Banksia. While they took over the subgenera and most series by George, she arranged his new division into sections. The series Cyrtostylis was recognized as polyphyletic, since scattered in the cladogram of the six species contained therein fourteen occurred. The remaining eight - including Banksia epica - formed a clade, which could be further subdivided into two groups.
Banksia pilostylis
Banksia media
Banksia epica
Banksia praemorsa
Banksia benthamiana
Banksia audax
Banksia laevigata subsp. laevigata
Banksia laevigata subsp. fuscolutea
Thiele and Chocoholics gave the two subgroups the rank of a series. The species of the first sub-group they presented further in the Cyrtostylis series, for the second sub-group they placed the series on Ochraceae. Thiele and Chocoholics presented Banksia epica with the three modes of clade in subgenus Banksia, series Cyrtostylis. George rejected the classification of the genus revision to its 1999 and summarized the series Ochraceae with 13 species much further.
From Austin Mast its cladistic studies have been published since 1998, results that are based on DNA sequences from the subtribe Banksiinae. The resulting relationships do not meet the previous taxonomic classifications. In terms of Banksia epica mast results, however, confirm the assumptions of Thiele and Chocoholics. Even with mast itself Banksia epica place in a not hierarchically structured clade, which corresponds exactly to the series Cyrtostylis of Thiele and Chocoholics.
Distribution and habitat
From Banksia epica only two populations are known. You are in the eastern part of the Esperance level in southwestern Australia, near the western end of the Great Australian Bight. The larger population is growing about 30 kilometers west of Point Culver, in 1989, with an estimated 2,000 plants. A small population is located about 70 kilometers to the east of the Toolinna Bay, with 1991 estimated 350 plants. This population represents the eastern limit of the distribution growing in southwestern Australia Banksia species; only 900 km further east, there are still others Banksia species.
At both locations, Banksia epica grows in a heathland in dunes above a cliff, white, quartz sand profound. The species occurs together with Banksia media, at the Point Culver is also growing Banksia praemorsa. The sand on the Toolinna Bay is slightly alkaline, Banksia Banksia epica and media are the only Banksia species that grow in alkaline soil.
The dunes of quartz sand cliff above the coast at both sites are unusual topographic formations, almost all soil types in the area are calcareous. Since Banksia species do not occur on calcareous soils, and the seeds are not spread over long distances, the two populations of Banksia epica are well isolated from each other. From Nelson originated the theory that earlier along the coast, a continuous strip of land consisted of quartz sand, which offered a larger and coherent habitat for Banksia epica. Due to a rise in sea level remained only the isolated, higher dunes as suitable locations. The fact that the two populations are not significantly different, suggesting that the insulation is not very last long, perhaps only since the end of the last ice age.
Ecology
As pollinators of Banksia epica the two white birds eye honeyeater ( Phylidonyris novaehollandiae ) and Acanthiza chrysorrhoa were found. Other pollinators were not detected, but the species is little studied and other Banksia species are numerous other pollinators known. For example, the closely related Banksia media were different nectar found eating birds and marsupials in an investigation, carried the pollen of this type. Likewise pollination played a role in seed formation by insects and self-pollination.
Like most silver tree plants ( Proteaceae ) is Banksia epica proteoid roots with dense, short lateral roots, which just below the litter, make a felt in the top soil layer. They allow an improved absorption of nutrients in poor soils. In case of fire, the plant has no underground reserve organs that could cast it. However, through the seeds, as with many Banksia species, a fire and released thereafter. Banksia epica is very susceptible to damage by the fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi.
Because so few locations and copies are known, Banksia epica is a " severity level two - little explored type " has been classified by the Ministry of Environment of the State of Western Australia (Priority Two - Poorly Known taxa within the rating system Conservation Codes for Western Australian Flora). In the evaluation system ROTAP CSIRO, the species is classified as " 2RC ", which means that it is rare, threatened with a distribution area less than 100 km, but not immediately. A threat to the species is not believed, because both sites in Nuytsland Nature Reserve are, are undisturbed and healthy. Since the environment is not well developed and investigated other unknown locations are possible.
Culture
Banksia epica is far in horticultural culture. One of the first who cultivated the way was Kevin Collins of the Banksia Farm in Albany. In loamy to sandy - gravelly substrate showed a good tolerance for alkaline soil. The Botanical Gardens in Canberra has changed the way also cultured successfully. Seeds were sown in 1996, the plants were planted in 1997. Seedlings that were planted in places without good drainage, died, while the other on well-drained sites by 2002 already reached a height of one meter and richly flourished.
In the absence of specifically applicable to Banksia epica information George recommends to orient the culture of the similar species Banksia media Banksia and praemorsa. Both require a sunny spot in well-drained soil, they not only tolerate a slight cut back on the leafy shoot parts out. The Horticultural Propagation is by seed or cuttings.