Banksia sceptrum

Banksia sceptrum grows in Western Australia near the central west coast from Geraldton north through Kalbarri to Hamelin Pool. It is killed by fire and regenerates by seed, the woody follicles opening with fire. The leaves are roughly oblong-shaped with truncate or emarginate ends and measure 4–9 cm long and 1–3 cm wide.

About Banksia sceptrum in brief

Banksia sceptrum grows in Western Australia near the central west coast from Geraldton north through Kalbarri to Hamelin Pool. It is killed by fire and regenerates by seed, the woody follicles opening with fire. Flowering is in summer, mainly December and January, though flowers are occasionally seen at other times. The leaves are roughly oblong-shaped with truncate or emarginate ends and measure 4–9 cm long and 1–3 cm wide. The upper and lower surfaces of the leaf are covered in dense fur, but become smooth with age. The obovate seed is 3–3. 5 cm long and fairly flattened. There are up to 50 follicles on each spike, each 1. 5–2. 5cm long, 0. 8–1. 8 cm high and 1-1. 6 cm wide. When new they are covered with dense grey fur, which wears off exposed areas.

The auricle at the base of the cotyledon leaf is pointed and measures 0. 2  cm long. The species name sceptrumsceptrum refers to the prominent flower spikes of the Banksia. It was first collected and grown by early settler James Drummond in Western Australian, it was described by Swiss botanist Carl Meissner in 1855. In his 18 arrangement of the genus, there were 58 Banksia verae, which had been renamed Eubanksia by Stephan Endlicher in 1847, based on leaf properties. George Bentham published a thorough revision of Banksia Quercinae in his landmark Flora Australiensis in 1870. The number of recognised Banksia species was reduced from 60 to 46 in Bentham’s arrangement, and the number of sections was reduced to 46.

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