''Banksia pallida'' is a species of column-shaped shrub that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the south-west of Western Australia. It has densely hairy stems, linear leaves with three to five serrations on each side, pale yellow flowers in heads of up to eighty and egg-shaped to elliptical follicles.

Description

''Banksia pallida'' is a column-shaped shrub that typically grows to a height of and has densely hairy stems but does not form a

lignotuber A lignotuber is a woody swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem, such as by fire. Other woody plants may develop basal burls as a similar survival strategy, often as a respons ...

. The leaves are broadly linear, mostly long and wide on a petiole long, with between three and five triangular lobes up to long on each side. The flowers are pale yellow and arranged in heads of between sixty-five and eighty with narrow lance-shaped

involucral bracts In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...

long at the base of the head. The

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower. It is a structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepal ...

is long and the

pistil Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl (botany), whorl of a flower; it consists ...

long and strongly curved. Flowering occurs from May to June and the follicles are egg-shaped to elliptical and long.

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 1996 by Alex George who gave it the name ''Dryandra pallida'' and published the description in the journal '' Nuytsia'' from specimens he collected near Pingaring in 1969. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

(''pallida'') is from the Latin word ''pallidus'' meaning "pale", referring to the colour of the flowers. In 2007, Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele transferred all the dryandras to the genus ''

Banksia ''Banksia'' is a genus of around 170 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes, and woody fruiting "cones" and head ...

'' and this species became ''Banksia pallida''.

Distribution and habitat

''Banksia pallida'' grows in kwongan and is found between Nyabing,

Frank Hann National Park Frank Hann National Park is a national park in Western Australia, located east-southeast of the capital, Perth in the Shire of Lake Grace. It was named for Frank Hann, an early explorer of the district. The park contains a wide array of flora, ...

, Kulin and Holt Rock in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions.

Conservation status

This banksia is classed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4856665

pallida This list of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names is intended to help those unfamiliar with classical languages to understand and remember the scientific names of organisms. The binomial nomenclature used for animals and plants ...

Plants described in 1996 Taxa named by Alex George