Banksia robur
Encyclopedia
Banksia robur, commonly known as Swamp Banksia or, less commonly, Broad-leaved Banksia grows in sand or peaty sand in coastal areas from Cooktown
in north Queensland
to the Illawarra
region on the New South Wales
south coast. It is often found in areas which are seasonally inundated.
Although it was one of the original banksias collected by Joseph Banks
around Botany Bay
in 1770, it was not named until 1800 by Cavanilles
, with a type collection by Luis Née
in 1793.
Plants from different areas seem to flower at different times, some spring-summer, others predominantly autumn. The stunning large flower spikes, up to 15cm high and 5-6cm wide, are metallic green with pinkish styles in bud, becoming cream-yellow and fading to golden-brown.In the golden stage. The old flowers turn grey and persist on old cones, concealing the small follicles. These follicles are reddish and furred when new, before fading. The plant is lignotuberous, regenerating from the ground after fire.
Hybrids with its close relative, B. oblongifolia
(Fern-leaved Banksia) can be sometimes found where both species occur (such as near Bulli
in the Illawarra
), with features intermediate between both species.
and Dr Daniel Solander
, naturalists on the Endeavour
during Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook
's first voyage to the Pacific Ocean
. Cook landed on Australian soil for the first time on 29 April 1770, at a place that he later named Botany Bay
in recognition of "the great quantity of plants Mr Banks and Dr Solander found in this place". Over the next seven weeks, Banks and Solander collected thousands of plant specimens, including the first specimens of a new genus that would later be named Banksia in Banks' honour.
It is said that every specimen collected during the Endeavour voyage was sketched by Banks' botanical illustrator
Sydney Parkinson
, but no such painting of B. robur is extant. On the Endeavours return to England
in July 1771, Banks' specimens became part of his London
herbarium
, and artists were employed to paint watercolours from Parkinson's sketches. Banks had plans to publish his entire collection as "Banks' Florilegium
", but for various reasons the project was never completed, and it would be ten years before any of the Banksia species were formally published.
Despite being one of the first four Banksia species collected, B. robur was not among the four species described by Carolus Linnaeus the Younger
in 1782. Specimens of the species were collected again in 1793 by Luis Née
, and it was on the basis of these specimens that it was described and named in 1800 by Antonio José Cavanilles
Since then, specimens referrable to B. robur have become the basis of a number of new species names, all now considered taxonomic synonyms of B. robur. These synonyms are:
s, and many bird species. These include honeyeaters such as New Holland Honeyeater
(Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Little Wattlebird
(Anthochaera chrysoptera), Brown Honeyeater
(Lichmera indistincta), Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
(Gliciphila melanops), Lewin's Honeyeater
(Meliphaga lewinii), and Little Friarbird
(Philemon citreogularis) - all recorded in the 1988 The Banksia Atlas
survey.
Cooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a small town located at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. At the 2006 census, Cooktown had a population of 1,336...
in north Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
to the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
region on the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
south coast. It is often found in areas which are seasonally inundated.
Although it was one of the original banksias collected by Joseph Banks
Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
around Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
in 1770, it was not named until 1800 by Cavanilles
Antonio José Cavanilles
Antonio José Cavanilles was a leading Spanish taxonomic botanist of the 18th century. He named many plants, particularly from Oceania, his name is abbreviated as Cav...
, with a type collection by Luis Née
Luis Née
Luis Née was a Franco-Spanish botanist, who accompanied the Malaspina expedition to the Pacific Ocean coasts of North America and Australia.He described many new plants, including the Coast Live Oak, which he discovered in California....
in 1793.
Description
Banksia robur is a spreading shrub to 2.5 m (8 ft), although can get a little larger in cultivation. It has very large, leathery tough green leaves with serrated margins up to 30 cm (12 in) long and 10 cm (4 in) wide. The new growth is colourful, with shades red, maroon or brown with a dense felt-like covering of brown hairs.Plants from different areas seem to flower at different times, some spring-summer, others predominantly autumn. The stunning large flower spikes, up to 15cm high and 5-6cm wide, are metallic green with pinkish styles in bud, becoming cream-yellow and fading to golden-brown.In the golden stage. The old flowers turn grey and persist on old cones, concealing the small follicles. These follicles are reddish and furred when new, before fading. The plant is lignotuberous, regenerating from the ground after fire.
Hybrids with its close relative, B. oblongifolia
Banksia oblongifolia
The Fern-leaved Banksia is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs along the eastern coast of Australia from Wollongong, New South Wales in the south to Rockhampton, Queensland in the north...
(Fern-leaved Banksia) can be sometimes found where both species occur (such as near Bulli
Bulli, New South Wales
Bulli is a northern suburb of Wollongong situated on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. Bulli is derived from an Aboriginal word signifying "double or two mountains"....
in the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
), with features intermediate between both species.
Taxonomy
The first botanical collection of B. robur was made by Sir Joseph BanksJoseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS was an English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage . Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa and the genus named after him,...
and Dr Daniel Solander
Daniel Solander
Daniel Carlsson Solander or Daniel Charles Solander was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. Solander was the first university educated scientist to set foot on Australian soil.-Biography:...
, naturalists on the Endeavour
HM Bark Endeavour
HMS Endeavour, also known as HM Bark Endeavour, was a British Royal Navy research vessel commanded by Lieutenant James Cook on his first voyage of discovery, to Australia and New Zealand from 1769 to 1771....
during Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
's first voyage to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Cook landed on Australian soil for the first time on 29 April 1770, at a place that he later named Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
in recognition of "the great quantity of plants Mr Banks and Dr Solander found in this place". Over the next seven weeks, Banks and Solander collected thousands of plant specimens, including the first specimens of a new genus that would later be named Banksia in Banks' honour.
It is said that every specimen collected during the Endeavour voyage was sketched by Banks' botanical illustrator
Botanical illustrator
A botanical illustrator is a person who paints, sketches or otherwise illustrates botanical subjects such as trees and flowers. The job requires great artistic skill, attention to fine detail, and technical botanical knowledge...
Sydney Parkinson
Sydney Parkinson
Sydney Parkinson was a Scottish Quaker, botanical illustrator and natural history artist.Parkinson was employed by Joseph Banks to travel with him on James Cook's first voyage to the Pacific in 1768. Parkinson made nearly a thousand drawings of plants and animals collected by Banks and Daniel...
, but no such painting of B. robur is extant. On the Endeavours return to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in July 1771, Banks' specimens became part of his London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
herbarium
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
, and artists were employed to paint watercolours from Parkinson's sketches. Banks had plans to publish his entire collection as "Banks' Florilegium
Banks' Florilegium
Banks' Florilegium is a collection of copperplate engravings of plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander while they accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyage around the world between 1768 and 1771...
", but for various reasons the project was never completed, and it would be ten years before any of the Banksia species were formally published.
Despite being one of the first four Banksia species collected, B. robur was not among the four species described by Carolus Linnaeus the Younger
Carolus Linnaeus the Younger
Carl Linnaeus the Younger, Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus the Younger was a Swedish naturalist...
in 1782. Specimens of the species were collected again in 1793 by Luis Née
Luis Née
Luis Née was a Franco-Spanish botanist, who accompanied the Malaspina expedition to the Pacific Ocean coasts of North America and Australia.He described many new plants, including the Coast Live Oak, which he discovered in California....
, and it was on the basis of these specimens that it was described and named in 1800 by Antonio José Cavanilles
Antonio José Cavanilles
Antonio José Cavanilles was a leading Spanish taxonomic botanist of the 18th century. He named many plants, particularly from Oceania, his name is abbreviated as Cav...
Since then, specimens referrable to B. robur have become the basis of a number of new species names, all now considered taxonomic synonyms of B. robur. These synonyms are:
- B. dilleniifolia, published by Joseph Knight in 1809;
- B. uncigera, also Knight, 1809;
- B. latifolia, published by Robert BrownRobert Brown (botanist)Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
in 1810; - B. macrophylla, published by Johann Heinrich Friedrich LinkJohann Heinrich Friedrich LinkJohann Heinrich Friedrich Link was a German naturalist and botanist.Link was born at Hildesheim as a son of the minister August Heinrich Link , who taught him the love for nature through collection of 'natural objects'...
in 1821; - B. fagifolia, published by J. C. Hoffmansegg in 1826;
- B. integrifolia var. dentata, published by Carl MeissnerCarl MeissnerCarl Daniel Friedrich Meissner was a Swiss botanist.Born in Bern, Switzerland on 1 November 1800, he was christened Meisner but later changed the spelling of his name to Meissner. For most of his 40 year career he was Professor of Botany at University of Basel...
in 1856;
Ecology
Like other banksias, B. robur plays host to a wide variety of pollinators, including insects such as butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, ants and jewel beetleJewel beetle
Buprestidae is a family of beetles, known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,000 species known in 450 genera...
s, and many bird species. These include honeyeaters such as New Holland Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
The New Holland Honeyeater is a honeyeater species found throughout southern Australia. It was among the first birds to be scientifically described in Australia, and was initially named Certhia novaehollandiae...
(Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Little Wattlebird
Little Wattlebird
The Little Wattlebird , also known as the Brush Wattlebird, is a honeyeater, a passerine bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is found in coastal and sub-coastal south-eastern Australia.-Taxonomy:...
(Anthochaera chrysoptera), Brown Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
The Brown Honeyeater is a honeyeater, a group of birds found mainly in Australia and New Guinea which have highly developed brush-tipped tongues adapted for nectar feeding...
(Lichmera indistincta), Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater
The Tawny-crowned Honeyeater is a passerine bird native to eastern Australia.The Tawny-crowned Honeyeater was originally described by ornithologist John Latham in 1802 as Certhia melanops...
(Gliciphila melanops), Lewin's Honeyeater
Lewin's Honeyeater
The Lewin's Honeyeater, Meliphaga lewinii, is a bird that inhabits the ranges along the east coast of Australia. It has a semicircular ear patch, pale yellow in colour.The name of this bird commemorates the Australian artist John Lewin....
(Meliphaga lewinii), and Little Friarbird
Little Friarbird
The Little Friarbird, Philemon citreogularis, is the smallest of the group of giant Australian honeyeaters called friarbirds. It occurs in open forest and woodland across eastern Australia and southern New Guinea....
(Philemon citreogularis) - all recorded in the 1988 The Banksia Atlas
The Banksia Atlas
The Banksia Atlas is an atlas that documents the ranges, habitats and growth forms of various species and other subgeneric taxa of Banksia, an iconic Australian wildflower genus...
survey.