Banksia burdettii
| Burdett's banksia | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Banksia |
| Subgenus: | Banksia subg. Banksia |
| Species: | B. burdettii |
| Binomial name | |
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Banksia burdettii Baker f. |
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Banksia burdettii, commonly known as Burdett's banksia, is a species of shrub or tree of the genus Banksia in the family Proteaceae. It occurs on sandplain country north of Gingin, Western Australia. Growing to 4 m (13 ft) in height, it has long serrated leaves and large, bright flower spikes, initially white before opening to a bright orange, that appear mainly in late summer (February and March). Edmund Gilbert Baker described B. burdettii in 1934, naming it after its collector, W. Burdett. Once established the plant is resistant to both frost and drought, it prefers sun or light shade and well drained soils.
Banksia burdettii grows as an evergreen shrub to a height of 4 metres (13 ft). The new growth is hairy, though longer stems are smooth. The sturdy, serrated grey green leaves are 10–16 centimetres (3.9–6.3 in) long and 1.5–2.5 centimetres (0.59–0.98 in) wide with a narrow oblong or wedge-shape and a truncate tip. The toothed margins are slightly downcurved.
Burdett's banksia has 6–10 centimetres (2.4–3.9 in) cm high flower spikes, known as inflorescences, that prominently displayed on the ends of stems, appearing between the months of January and May, peaking over February and March. A 1988 field study in Watheroo National Park revealed that each flower spike has 972 ± 130 florets. The individual flowers are hairy and white on the outside and orange within, the flower spikes turning from white to orange as anthesis proceeds up the spike. Old flower spikes fade to grey over time, and develop up to 20 follicles (seed pods) each. Each follicle contains two seeds, though around 36% of seeds are nonviable. Almost all follicles remain closed until opened by bushfire.
Banksia burdettii was described in 1934 by Edmund Gilbert Baker, from a specimen grown from seed collected at Watheroo by one W. Burdett in 1930. Baker felt it had affinities to B. baueri, B. prionotes and B. menziesii, placing it in the series Cyrtostylis. In 1981, Alex George published a revised arrangement that placed B. prionotes in the subgenus Banksia because of its flower spike, section Banksia because its styles are straight rather than hooked, and the series Crocinae, a new series of four closely related species, all with bright orange perianths and pistils.
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