Botanical art
Prior names
Sirmuellera ornata
Banksia ornata var. rufa
Common names
Desert banksia
Sand-heath Banksia
Etymology
Banksia named after Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820), a 19th century botanist and president of the Royal Society who travelled with Captain Cook on his first voyage to 'New Holland' in 1770. Ornata from the Latin 'ornatus' meaning adorned, decorated, ornate, referring to its large showy flowers and coppery young leaves.
Distribution and status
Found across the lower regions of South Australia, south of Nuriootpa and lower Eyre Peninsula on sandy soils on dunes or over limestone or laterite, in mallee shrubland or low woodland. Also found in Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Bushy, branching shrub to 3 m tall with green, hairless and finely serrated leaves. Young leaves are hairy and copper coloured. Flowers are creamy in a large ovoid cluster. Flowering occurs all year round. Fruits are large, hairy, woody cones with numerous valves. Seeds are dark brown to black, flat, triangular seed to 10 mm long with a large wing around one end. Seed embryo type is investing.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and December. Collect mature cones with obvious un-open valves. These will contain viable seeds. Place the cones in a tray and leave to dry until the valves open. Alternatively, place the cones in an oven at low temperatures to speed up the process. Then place the dried cones in a bucket and shake to dislodge the seeds from the valves. Separate the seeds from the fruit and store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Seed viability is usually high. Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 1,775 (43.8 g) 1,775 (43.8 g) | 85 | 9-Jan-2004 | MKJ16 Kangaroo Island | 1-Sep-2004 | 80% | +5°C, -18°C |