Banksia goodii
Encyclopedia
Banksia goodii, commonly known as Good's Banksia, is an endangered
shrub
of Southwest
Western Australia
.
Good's Banksia grows as a low shrub, either prostrate or with stems up to twenty centimetres high. The leaves are dark green with a prominent yellow midrib, and are held erect. They may be up to 45 centimetres long, and are coarsely serrated along their edges. Both the stems and leaves are covered in hairs, the hairy new growth is a striking purple in colour. The inflorescences, which occur between November and January, are a rusty brown colour, and occur at ground level in Banksias distinctive cylindrical flower spikes. The "cones" have a hairy appearance due to retention of old withered flower parts. Very few follicles
are produced per cone, and some cones producing none at all.
Good's Banksia occurs on shallow white or grey sand over laterite
, in low forest and woodland in southwest Western Australia between Albany
and the Porongorup Range
. The distribution was probably greater before much of the surrounding land was cleared for agriculture
. There are 23 populations known, with populations ranging between 10 and 300 plants, for a total of around 1000 known plants. It is "Listed as Vulnerable" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
.
Seeds do not require any treatment, and take 19 to 56 days to germinate.
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
of Southwest
Southwest Australia
Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot that includes the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregions of Western Australia. The region has a wet-winter, dry-summer Mediterranean climate, one of five such regions in the world...
Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Good's Banksia grows as a low shrub, either prostrate or with stems up to twenty centimetres high. The leaves are dark green with a prominent yellow midrib, and are held erect. They may be up to 45 centimetres long, and are coarsely serrated along their edges. Both the stems and leaves are covered in hairs, the hairy new growth is a striking purple in colour. The inflorescences, which occur between November and January, are a rusty brown colour, and occur at ground level in Banksias distinctive cylindrical flower spikes. The "cones" have a hairy appearance due to retention of old withered flower parts. Very few follicles
Follicle (fruit)
In botany, a follicle is a dry unilocular many-seeded fruit formed from one carpel and dehiscing by the ventral suture in order to release seeds, such as in larkspur, magnolia, banksia, peony and milkweed....
are produced per cone, and some cones producing none at all.
Good's Banksia occurs on shallow white or grey sand over laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
, in low forest and woodland in southwest Western Australia between Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
and the Porongorup Range
Porongurup National Park
Porongurup National Park is a national park in the Great Southern region of Western Australia , 360 km southeast of Perth and 40 km from Albany....
. The distribution was probably greater before much of the surrounding land was cleared for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. There are 23 populations known, with populations ranging between 10 and 300 plants, for a total of around 1000 known plants. It is "Listed as Vulnerable" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and culturally significant places...
.
Seeds do not require any treatment, and take 19 to 56 days to germinate.