Scientific name Banksia gardneri | Genus Banksia Rank Species | |
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Similar Banksia petiolaris, Banksia dryandroides, Banksia pilostylis, Banksia repens, Banksia oreophila | ||
The Prostrate Banksia (Banksia gardneri) is a species of prostrate shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs along the south coast of Western Australia.
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Scientific name
It was initially named Banksia prostrata, but Alex George discovered that name was illegal because it was already a valid synonym of Pimelia prostrata. He broke his rule about never naming plants after people and named it after Charles Gardner in honour of his work on banksias.
Description
It is a slow growing prostrate woody shrub with thick horizontal stems and upright broadly roughly triangularly lobed leaves to 40 cm high (though usually less) and 2 to 6 cm wide. The furry rusty brown flower spikes are cylindrical with cream, or rarely black styles. Flowering is in late spring. It is lignotuberorous and regenerates by resprouting after fire.
Distribution and habitat
It grows in sand or gravel between Denmark and Hopetoun.
Taxonomy
Three subspecies are recognised:
Cultivation
B. g. gardneri is a slow growing shrub though fairly easy to grow. It is less vigorous than Banksia blechnifolia or B. petiolaris. Seeds do not require any treatment, and take 19 to 64 days to germinate.