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'''''Banksia marginata''''', commonly known as the '''Silver Banksia''', is a species of tree or woody shrub in the [[plant]] [[genus]] ''[[Banksia]]'' found throughout much of southeastern Australia. Highly variable in form, it can be encountered as a small shrub 20 cm (8 in) high, to a large 12 m (40 ft) tall tree. The narrow leaves are linear and the yellow [[inflorescence]]s (flower spikes) occur from late summer to early winter. The flower spikes fade to brown and then grey and develop woody [[Follicle (fruit)|follicles]] bearing the winged seeds. Many species of bird, in particular [[honeyeater]]s, visit the flower spikes, as do native and European honeybees. The response to [[bushfire]] varies; some forms are [[serotiny|serotinous]], that is they are killed by fire and regenerate from large stores of seed which have been held in cones in the [[Canopy seed bank|plant canopy]] and are released, while other forms regenerate from underground [[lignotuber]]s or [[Basal shoot|sucker]] from lateral roots. ''Banksia marginata'' is commonly seen in cultivation, with [[Dwarfing|dwarf]] forms being registered and sold. ''Banksia marginata'' is a highly variable species, usually ranging from a small shrub around a metre (3 ft) tall to a 12 m (40 ft) high tree.<ref name="George 1999">{{cite encyclopedia | author = [[Alex George|George, Alex S.]] | year = 1999 | title = Banksia | editor = Wilson, Annette | encyclopedia = [[Flora of Australia (series)|Flora of Australia]] | volume = Volume 17B: Proteaceae 3: Hakea to Dryandra | pages = 175–251 | publisher = CSIRO Publishing / [[Australian Biological Resources Study]] | isbn = 978-0-643-06454-6}}</ref> Unusually large trees of 15 to possibly 30 m (50–100 ft) have been reported near [[Beeac, Victoria|Beeac]] in Victoria's [[Western District (Victoria)|Western District]] as well as several locations in Tasmania.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Liber, Cas | year = 2004 | title = Really Big Banksias | journal = Banksia Study Group Newsletter| volume = 6 | pages = 4–5|issn=1444–285X|url=http://anpsa.org.au/banksSG/banksiasg-6-1.pdf}}</ref> Conversely, it has been recorded as a compact shrub 20 cm (8 in) high on coastal [[heath]]land in Tasmania (such as at [[Rocky Cape National Park]]).<ref>Salkin, p. 145.</ref> Shrubs reach only 2 m (7 ft) high in [[Gibraltar Range National Park]].<ref name=Vaughton06a>{{cite journal|author=Vaughton, Glenda; Ramsey, Mike.|title=Selfed Seed Set and Inbreeding Depression in Obligate Seeding Populations of ''Banksia Marginata''|journal=Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales|volume=127|year=2006|pages=19–25|issn=0370-047X}}</ref> The bark is pale grey and initially smooth before becoming finely [[wikt:tessellated|tessellated]] with age. The new branchlets are hairy at first but lose their hairs as they mature,<ref name="George 1999"/> the new growth a pale- or pinkish brown.<ref name="George96"/> The leaves are alternately arranged on the stems on 2–5 mm long [[Petiole (botany)|petioles]], and characteristically toothed in juvenile or younger leaves ({{convert|3|–|7|cm|in|abbr=on|disp=s}} long). The narrow adult leaves are dull green in colour and generally linear, oblong or wedge-shaped (cuneate) and measure {{convert|1.5|–|6|cm|in|abbr=on|disp=s}} long and {{convert|0.3|–|1.3|cm|in|abbr=on|disp=s}} wide. The margins become entire with age, and the tip is most commonly [[wikt:truncate|truncate]] or [[wikt:emarginate|emarginate]], but can be acute or [[wikt:mucronate|mucronate]].<ref name="George 1981"/> The cellular makeup of the leaves shows evidence of [[wikt:lignification|lignification]], and the leaves themselves are somewhat stiff.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Relationships Between Sclerophylly, Leaf Biomechanical Properties and Leaf Anatomy in Some Australian Heath and Forest Species |author=Read, Jennifer ; Edwards, Cheryl ; Sanson, Gordon D.; Aranwela, Nuvan |journal=Plant Biosystems|volume=134|issue=3| pages=261–77|year=2000|doi=10.1080/11263500012331350445}}</ref> Leaves also have sunken [[stoma]]tes. The leaf undersurface is white with a prominent [[wikt:midrib|midrib]] covered in brownish hairs.<ref name="George 1981"/> The complex flower spikes, known as [[inflorescence]]s, appear generally from late summer to early winter (February to June) in New South Wales and Victoria, although flowering occurs in late autumn and winter in the Gibraltar Range.<ref name=Vaughton06a/> Cylindrical in shape, they are composed of a central woody spike or axis from which a large number of compact floral units arise perpendicularly to it and measure {{convert|5|–|10|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall and {{convert|4|–|6|cm|in|abbr=on}} wide,<ref name="George 1981"/> Pale yellow in colour, they are composed of up to 1000 individual flowers (784 recorded in the Gibraltar Range<ref name=Vaughton06a/>) and arise from nodes of branchlets of three years' age or more. Sometimes two may grow from successive nodes in the same flowering season. They can have a grey or golden tinge in late bud. As with most banksias, [[anthesis]] is [[wikt:acropetal|acropetal]]; the opening of the individual buds proceeds up the flower spike from the base to the top.<ref name="George 1981"/> Over time the flower spikes fade to brown and then grey, and the old flowers generally persist on the cone.<ref name="Holliday">{{cite book|author=Holliday, Ivan; Watton, Geoffrey|title=Banksias: A Field and Garden Guide|publisher=[[Australian Native Plants Society (Australia)|Australian Plants Society]] (SA Region)|location=Adelaide, South Australia|year=2008|origyear=1977|edition=3rd|isbn=0-9803013-1-1|pages=100–01}}</ref> The woody [[Follicle (fruit)|follicles]] grow in the six months after flowering, with up to 150 developing on a single flower spike. In many forms, only a few follicles develop. Small and ellptic, they measure 0.7–1.7 cm long, 0.2–0.5 cm high, and 0.2–0.4 cm wide.<ref name="George 1981"/> In coastal and floodplain forms, these open spontaneously and release seed, while they remain sealed until burnt by fire in plant from heathland and montane habitats. However there are exceptions to each case.<ref>Salkin, p. 146.</ref><!-- cites previous two sentences --> Each follicle contains one or two fertile seeds, between which lies a woody dark brown separator of similar shape to the seeds. Measuring 0.9–1.5 cm in length, the seed is egg-to wedge-shaped ([[wikt:obovate|obovate]]-[[wikt:cuneate|cuneate]]), and composed of a dark brown 0.8–1.1 cm wide membranous 'wing' and wedge- or sickle-shaped (cuneate-[[wikt:falcate|falcate]]) seed proper which measures 0.5–0.8 cm long by 0.3–0.4 cm wide. The seed surface can be smooth or covered in tiny ridges, and often [[wikt:glisten|glistens]].<ref name="George 1981"/> ==Cultivation== ===Propagation=== ===Pests and diseases=== ==Varieties== ==Gallery== <gallery perrow=5> Banksia marginata Arthurs Seat.jpg|small sinewy tree in bushland|as a small tree at [[Arthurs Seat, Victoria|Arthurs Seat State Park]], Victoria Banksia marginata trunk Beeac.jpg|a man stands, displaying the girth of the trunk|trunk of large tree at [[Beeac, Victoria|Beeac]] in Victoria's [[Western District (Victoria)|Western District]] Bmargbeeac2.JPG|silhouette of tree at dusk|silhouette of same tree near Beeac Banksia marginata antsandbee3.JPG|a globular dense shrub at the side of a dirt road|a large shrub at [[Revesby, New South Wales|Revesby]] in suburban Sydney Banksia marginata Anglesea Heath.jpg|a tiny shrub in white sand|small shrub at Anglesea Heath Banksia marginata on the rocks Prom.jpg|small shrub among rocks|small shrub among rocks, [[Wilsons Promontory]] </gallery> ==References== <references/> <!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 --> <!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 --> <!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 --> ==External links== *{{wplink}} {{stub}} __NOTOC__
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