Banksia telmatiaea 5689889 225498395 2008-07-14T00:37:14Z Hesperian 111359 convert taxobox to APG-II using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Taxobox | name = Swamp Fox Banksia | image = B telmatiaea 13 gnangarra cropped brightened.jpg | image_caption = | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | divisio = [[Angiospermae]] | unranked_classis = [[Eudicots]] | ordo = [[Proteales]] | familia = [[Proteaceae]] | genus = ''[[Banksia]]'' | species = '''''B. telmatiaea''''' | binomial = ''Banksia telmatiaea'' | binomial_authority = [[Alex George|A.S.George]] }} '''''Banksia telmatiaea''''', commonly known as '''Swamp Fox Banksia''' or rarely '''Marsh Banksia''',<ref name="Bennett 1991">{{cite book | last = Bennett | first = Eleanor M. | year = 1991 | title = Common and Aboriginal names of Western Australian plant species | location = Boya | publisher = [[Wildflower Society of Western Australia]], Eastern Hills Branch}}</ref> is a shrub that grows in marshes and swamps along the lower west coast of [[Australia]]. It grows as an upright bush up to two metres (7&nbsp;ft) tall, with narrow leaves and a pale brown flower spike, which can produce profuse quantities of nectar. First collected in the 1840s, it was not published as a species until 1981; as with several other similar species it was previously included in ''[[Banksia sphaerocarpa|B.&nbsp;sphaerocarpa]]'' (Fox Banksia). The shrub grows amongst [[scrubland]] in seasonally wet lowland areas of the coastal sandplain between [[Badgingarra, Western Australia|Badgingarra]] and [[Serpentine, Western Australia|Serpentine]] in [[Western Australia]]. A little studied species, not much is known of its [[ecology]] or [[conservation biology]]. Reports do suggest, however, that it is pollinated by a variety of birds and small mammals. Like many members of series ''[[Banksia ser. Abietinae|''Abietinae'']]'' it has not been considered to have much horticultural potential and is rarely cultivated. ==Description== [[Image:B telmatiaea leaf gnangarra.jpg|thumb|Closeup of foliage]] ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' grows as an upright bush up to two metres (7&nbsp;ft) high. It has hairy stems and branchlets, and straight, narrow leaves from 1½ to three centimetres (½–1&nbsp;in) long and about a millimetre ({{frac|1|16}}&nbsp;in) wide.<ref name="George 1999">{{cite encyclopedia | author = George, Alex S. | year = 1999 | title = ''Banksia'' | editor = Wilson, Annette | encyclopedia = [[Flora of Australia (series)|Flora of Australia]] | volume = 17B: Proteaceae 3: Hakea to Dryandra | pages = 175–251 | publisher = CSIRO Publishing / Australian Biological Resources Study | id = ISBN 0-643-06454-0}}</ref> Flowers occur in "flower spikes", [[inflorescence]]s made up of hundreds of flower pairs densely packed around a woody axis. ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea''<span/>'s inflorescences are roughly spherical, with a diameter of three to five centimetres (1–2&nbsp;in).<ref name="George 1999"/> It contains between 500 and 900 golden brown to pale brown flowers,<ref name="Scott 1982">{{cite journal | author = Scott, John K. | year = 1982 | title = The impact of destructive insects on reproduction in six species of ''Banksia'' L.f. (Proteaceae) | journal = [[Australian Journal of Zoology]] | volume = 30 | issue = 6 | pages = 901–921 | doi = 10.1071/ZO9820901}}</ref> each of which consists of a tubular [[perianth]] made up of four fused [[tepal]]s, and one long wiry [[carpel|style]]. The styles are hooked rather than straight, and are initially trapped inside the upper perianth parts, but break free at [[anthesis]]. The species generally flowers from April to August, although flowers have been observed as late as November.<ref name="Taylor 1988"/> They take five to six weeks to develop from bud, then reach anthesis over a period of two weeks. The flowers produce unusually large quantities of [[nectar]]; indeed some flowers produce so much that it drips to the ground.<ref name="Scott 1982"/> The fruiting structure is a stout woody "cone", with a hairy appearance caused by the persistence of old withered flower parts.<ref name="George 1999"/> This may be embedded with up to 70 woody [[follicle (fruit)|follicles]], each of which contains a single seed. As with other ''Banksia'' species, only a small proportion of flowers go on to form follicles; in the case of ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'', the proportion is around 4% for those "cones" that set some fruit. However, about 80% of fruiting structures set no fruit at all. According to [[John K. Scott]], "there [is] no obvious reason on the basis of morphology of pollination for this lack of seed set".<ref name="Scott 1982"/> ==Taxonomy== [[Image:Banksia telmatiaea 19 gnangarra cropped.jpg|right|thumb|Inflorescence in late bud]] [[Image:B telmatiaea 06 gnangarra cropped.jpg|thumb|right|Fruiting structure with persistent flowers and closed follicles]] {{seealso|Taxonomy of Banksia}} ===Discovery and naming=== ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' was first collected around 1840 by [[Ludwig Preiss]] and [[James Drummond (botanist)|James Drummond]]. For many years it was included in ''B.&nbsp;sphaerocarpa'', but by 1980 it was recognised as a distinct species. In recognition of its distinctness from, yet affinity with, ''B.&nbsp;sphaerocarpa'', it was for a time informally referred to as ''Banksia'' aff. ''Sphaerocarpa''.<ref name="Lamont 1980">{{cite journal |last=Lamont |first=Byron B. | year = 1980 | title = Blue-green algae in nectar of ''Banksia'' aff. ''Sphaerocarpa'' | journal = [[West Australian Naturalist]] | volume = 14 | issue = 7 | pages = 193–194}}</ref> It was eventually published by [[Alex George]] in his 1981 monograph ''[[The genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)]]'', based on a specimen collected by him on the [[Brand Highway]] about 45 km (28 mi) north of [[Regans Ford, Western Australia|Regans Ford]] on [[14 May]] [[1969]], and labelled "A. S. George 9309".<ref name="George 1981">{{The genus Banksia L.f. (Proteaceae)}}</ref> George gave it the specific name ''telmatiaea'' from the [[Greek language|Greek]] [[word stem|stem]] ''telmat-''/τελματ- ("the mud of a pond"),<ref name="Liddell 1980">{{cite book | author = [[Henry George Liddell|Liddell, Henry George]] and [[Robert Scott (philologist)|Robert Scott]] | year = 1980 | title = [[A Greek-English Lexicon]] (Abridged Edition) | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | location = United Kingdom | id = ISBN 0-19-910207-4}}</ref> in reference to its swampy habitat.<ref name="George 1981"/> Thus the full name for the species is ''Banksia telmatiaea'' A.S.George.<ref name="APNI">{{APNI | name = ''Banksia telmatiaea'' A.S.George | id = 55641}}</ref> ===Infrageneric placement=== George placed ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' in subgenus [[Banksia subg. Banksia|''Banksia'']] because its inflorescence is a typical ''Banksia'' flower spike, section [[Banksia sect. Oncostylis|''Oncostylis'']] because it has hooked styles, and series [[Banksia ser. Abietinae|''Abietinae'']] because its inflorescence is roughly spherical. He considered its closest relative to be ''[[Banksia leptophylla|B.&nbsp;leptophylla]]'' (Slender-leaved Banksia), which differs from ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' in having longer leaves and larger flowers; yet in his arrangement he placed it between ''[[Banksia scabrella|B.&nbsp;scabrella]]'' (Burma Road Banksia) and ''[[Banksia laricina|B.&nbsp;laricina]]'' (Rose-fruited Banksia).<ref name="George 1981"/> In 1996, [[Kevin Thiele]] and Pauline Ladiges published the results of a [[cladistics|cladistic]] analysis of [[morphology (biology)|morphological]] characters of ''Banksia''. They retained George's subgenera and many of his series, but discarded his sections. ''B.''&nbsp;ser. ''Abietinae'' was found to be very nearly [[monophyly|monophyletic]], and so retained. It further resolved into four subclades, so Thiele and Ladiges split it into four [[subseries]]. ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' appeared in the third of these:<ref name="Thiele 1996">{{cite journal | author = Thiele, Kevin and Pauline Y. Ladiges | year = 1996 | title = A cladistic analysis of ''Banksia'' (Proteaceae) | journal = [[Australian Systematic Botany]] | volume = 9 | issue = 5 | pages = 661–733 | doi = 10.1071/SB9960661}}</ref> {{clade |1='''''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea''''' |2={{clade |1=''[[Banksia scabrella|B.&nbsp;scabrella]]'' |2={{clade |1=[[Banksia leptophylla var. melletica|''B.&nbsp;leptophylla'' var. ''melletica'']] |2={{clade |1=[[Banksia leptophylla var. leptophylla|''B.&nbsp;leptophylla'' var. ''leptophylla'']] |2=''[[Banksia lanata|B.&nbsp;lanata]]'' }} }} }} }} This clade became the basis of [[Banksia subser. Leptophyllae|''B.''&nbsp;subser. ''Leptophyllae'']], which Thiele defined as containing those species with "indurated and spinescent common bracts on the unfructescence axes, and densely arachnose seedling stems." In accordance with their cladogram, their arrangement placed ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' next to ''B.&nbsp;scabrella''.<ref name="Thiele 1996"/> Thiele and Ladiges' arrangement was not accepted by George, and was largely discarded by him in [[George's taxonomic arrangement of Banksia|his 1999 arrangement]]. ''B.''&nbsp;ser. ''Abietinae'' was restored to George's 1981 circumscription, and all of Thiele and Ladiges' subseries were abandoned. However, ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' was moved in the [[phyletic order]] to between ''[[Banksia grossa|B.&nbsp;grossa]]'' (Coarse Banksia) and ''B.&nbsp;leptophylla'', thus better according with the affinity with ''B.&nbsp;leptophylla'' claimed by George in 1981.<ref name="George 1999"/> The placement of ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' in George's 1999 arrangement may be summarised as follows:<ref name="George 1999"/> :'''''[[Banksia]]''''' ::'''[[Banksia subg. Banksia|''B.''&nbsp;subg. ''Banksia'']]''' :::[[Banksia sect. Banksia|''B.''&nbsp;sect. ''Banksia'']] (9 series, 50 species, 9 subspecies, 3 varieties) :::[[Banksia sect. Coccinea|''B.''&nbsp;sect. ''Coccinea'']] (1 species) :::'''[[Banksia sect. Oncostylis|''B.''&nbsp;sect. ''Oncostylis'']]''' ::::[[Banksia ser. Spicigerae|''B.''&nbsp;ser. ''Spicigerae'']] (7 species, 2 subspecies, 4 varieties) ::::[[Banksia ser. Tricuspidae|''B.''&nbsp;ser. ''Tricuspidae'']] (1 species) ::::[[Banksia ser. Dryandroideae|''B.''&nbsp;ser. ''Dryandroideae'']] (1 species) ::::'''[[Banksia ser. Abietinae|''B.''&nbsp;ser. ''Abietinae'']]''' :::::''[[Banksia sphaerocarpa|B.&nbsp;sphaerocarpa]]'' (3 varieties) :::::''[[Banksia micrantha|B.&nbsp;micrantha]]'' :::::''[[Banksia grossa|B.&nbsp;grossa]]'' :::::'''''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea''''' :::::''[[Banksia leptophylla|B.&nbsp;leptophylla]]'' (2 varieties) :::::''[[Banksia lanata|B.&nbsp;lanata]]'' :::::''[[Banksia scabrella|B.&nbsp;scabrella]]'' :::::''[[Banksia violacea|B.&nbsp;violacea]]'' :::::''[[Banksia incana|B.&nbsp;incana]]'' :::::''[[Banksia laricina|B.&nbsp;laricina]]'' :::::''[[Banksia pulchella|B.&nbsp;pulchella]]'' :::::''[[Banksia meisneri|B.&nbsp;meisneri]]'' (2 subspecies) :::::''[[Banksia nutans|B.&nbsp;nutans]]'' (2 varieties) ::[[Banksia subg. Isostylis|''B.''&nbsp;subg. ''Isostylis'']] (3 species) Since 1998, [[Austin Mast]] has been publishing results of ongoing cladistic analyses of [[DNA sequence]] data for the subtribe [[Banksiinae]]. His analyses suggest a phylogeny that is very greatly different to George's arrangement. With respect to ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'', Mast's results accord closely with Thiele and Ladiges' arrangement, inferring a [[polytomous]] clade consisting of ''B.&nbsp;leptophylla'', ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'', ''B.&nbsp;scabrella'' and ''B.&nbsp;lanata'', with ''[[Banksia grossa|B.&nbsp;grossa]]'' (Coarse Banksia) as the nearest [[outgroup]]:<ref name="Mast 1998">{{cite journal | author = Mast, Austin R. | year = 1998 | title = Molecular systematics of subtribe Banksiinae (''Banksia'' and ''Dryandra''; Proteaceae) based on cpDNA and nrDNA sequence data: implications for taxonomy and biogeography | journal = Australian Systematic Botany | volume = 11 | pages = 321–342 | doi = 10.1071/SB97026}}</ref><ref name="Mast 2002">{{cite journal | author = Mast, Austin R. and Thomas J. Givnish | year = 2002 | title = Historical biogeography and the origin of stomatal distributions in ''Banksia'' and ''Dryandra'' (Proteaceae) based on Their cpDNA phylogeny | journal = [[American Journal of Botany]] | volume = 89 | issue = 8 | pages = 1311–1323 | id = {{ISSN|0002-9122}} | url = http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/89/8/1311 | accessdate=2006-07-02 | doi = 10.3732/ajb.89.8.1311}}</ref><ref name="Mast 2005">{{cite journal | author = [[Austin Mast|Mast, Austin R.]], Eric H. Jones and Shawn P. Havery | year = 2005 | volume = 18 | issue = 1 | title = An assessment of old and new DNA sequence evidence for the paraphyly of ''Banksia'' with respect to ''Dryandra'' (Proteaceae) | journal = Australian Systematic Botany | pages = 75–88 | publisher = CSIRO Publishing / Australian Systematic Botany Society | doi = 10.1071/SB04015}}</ref> {{clade |1={{clade |1='''''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea''''' |2=''[[Banksia scabrella|B.&nbsp;scabrella]]'' |3=[[Banksia leptophylla var. melletica|''B.&nbsp;leptophylla'' var. ''melletica'']] |4=[[Banksia leptophylla var. leptophylla|''B.&nbsp;leptophylla'' var. ''leptophylla'']] |5=''[[Banksia lanata|B.&nbsp;lanata]]'' }} |2=''[[Banksia grossa|B.&nbsp;grossa]]'' }} Early in 2007, Mast and Thiele initiated a rearrangement of ''Banksia'' by merging ''[[Dryandra]]'' into it, and publishing [[Banksia subg. Spathulatae|''B.''&nbsp;subg. ''Spathulatae'']] for the taxa having spoon-shaped [[cotyledon]]s. They foreshadowed publishing a full arrangement once DNA sampling of ''Dryandra'' was complete; in the meantime, if Mast and Thiele's nomenclatural changes are taken as an interim arrangement, then ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' is placed in ''B.''&nbsp;subg. ''Spathulatae''.<ref name="Mast 2007">{{cite journal | author = Mast, Austin R. and Kevin Thiele | year = 2007 | title = The transfer of ''Dryandra'' R.Br. to ''Banksia'' L.f. (Proteaceae) | journal = Australian Systematic Botany | volume = 20 | pages = 63–71 | doi = 10.1071/SB06016}}</ref> ==Distribution and habitat== [[Image:B telmatiaea dist map.png|thumb|right|Distribution of ''B.telmatiaea'']] ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' grows only in the [[Swan Coastal Plain]], [[Geraldton Sandplains]] and [[Jarrah Forest]] [[biogeography|biogeographic]] regions, inland from the coast but never east of the [[Darling Scarp]]. It occurs from [[Hill River (Western Australia)|Hill River]] near [[Badgingarra, Western Australia|Badgingarra]] in the north, to [[Serpentine, Western Australia|Serpentine]] in the south. Most populations occur north of [[Moore River]] or south of [[Cannington, Western Australia|Cannington]], there being only a few scattered populations in between.<ref name="Taylor 1988">{{The Banksia Atlas}}</ref> The species favours lowland areas that are seasonally wet but never inundated, such as the margins of [[swamp]]s and [[marshes]]. For example, in the [[Yule Brook Botany Reserve]], where parallel sand [[ridge]]s cross a clay flat, ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' occurs neither in the lowest parts of the flat, where seasonal inundation occurs; nor on the tops of the ridges, where the drainage is good; but it is one of the most abundant plants of intermediate habitats, on ridge slopes and in higher areas of the clay flat.<ref name="Speck 1984">{{cite journal | author = Speck, N. H. and A. M. Baird | year = 1984 | title = Vegetation of Yule Brook Reserve near Perth, Western Australia | journal = [[Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia]] | volume = 66 | issue = 4 | pages = 147–162}}</ref> Favoured soils are deep grey sandy loams or shallower sand overlying [[claypan]]. Associated vegetation is typically [[scrubland]] or [[shrubland]], although moisture-loving trees such as ''[[Banksia littoralis|B.&nbsp;littoralis]]'' (Swamp Banksia) or ''[[Melaleuca preissiana]]'' (Moonah) may also be present, sometimes in sufficient numbers to form a low open [[woodland]].<ref name="Taylor 1988"/><ref name="Lewis 1981">{{cite journal | author = Lewis, Jeffrey and David T. Bell | year = 1981 | title = Reproductive isolation of co-occurring ''Banksia'' species at the Yule Brook Botany Reserve, Western Australia | journal = [[Australian Journal of Botany]] | volume = 29 | pages = 665–674 | doi = 10.1071/BT9810665}}</ref> ==Ecology== {{seealso|Ecology of Banksia}} Like most other [[Proteaceae]], ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' has [[proteoid root]]s, roots with dense clusters of short lateral rootlets that form a mat in the soil just below the leaf litter. These roots are particularly efficient at absorbing nutrients from nutrient-poor soils, such as the [[phosphorus]]-deficient native soils of [[Australia]].<ref name="Lamont 1993">{{cite journal |last=Lamont |first=Byron B. | year = 1993 | title = Why are hairy root clusters so abundant in the most nutrient-impoverished soils of Australia | journal = [[Plant and Soil]] | volume = 156/156 | issue = 1 | pages = 269–272 | doi = 10.1007/BF00025034}}</ref> Unlike many ''Banksia'' species, ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' lacks a [[lignotuber]], so plants are killed by bushfire. However, it is adapted to release its aerial bank of seeds following a bushfire, and so regenerates rapidly.<ref name="George 1987">{{The Banksia Book}}</ref> This behaviour, known as [[serotiny]], makes ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' dependent upon a suitable fire regime for successful regeneration; indeed, excessive fire frequency may be one reason why ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' does not occur further south, despite suitable habitat throughout [[southwest Australia]].<ref name="Lamont 1995">{{cite journal |last=Lamont |first=Byron B.|coauthors= Adrienne Markey | year = 1995 | title = Biogeography of fire-killed and resprouting ''Banksia'' species in south-western Australia | journal = Australian Journal of Botany | volume = 43 | pages = 283–303 | doi = 10.1071/BT9950283}}</ref> [[Image:B telmatiaea 25 gnangarra.jpg|thumb|left|Bushfire kills adult plants, but also triggers the release of seed, ensuring rapid regeneration.]] [[Image:B telmatiaea seedlings.jpg|thumb|left|Recruitment of seedlings at the same location four months later.]] Four species of bird have been observed visiting the flowers of ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'': the [[Red Wattlebird]] (''Anthochaera carunculata''),<ref name="Taylor 1988"/> the [[Silvereye]] (''Zosterops lateralis''), the [[New Holland Honeyeater]] (''Phylidonyris novaehollandiae'') and the [[Brown Honeyeater]] (''Lichmera indistincta''). The introduced [[Western Honey Bee]] (''Apis mellifera'') is also commonly observed, and visits by [[ant]]s and ''[[Hylaeus (genus)|Hylaeus]]'' [[Colletidae|plasterer bees]] have been recorded. Visits by [[nectarivore|nectarivorous]] [[mammal]]s have not been directly observed, but their involvement in pollination is certain, as their [[feces|scat]]s have often been found on inflorescences,<ref name="Hansen 2007">{{cite journal | author = Hansen, Dennis M. Hansen, Jens M. Olesen, Thomas Mione, Steven D. Johnson and Christine B. Müller | year = 2007 | title = Coloured nectar: distribution, ecology, and evolution of an enigmatic floral trait | journal = [[Biological Reviews]] | volume = 82 | pages = 83–111 | doi = 10.1111/j.1469-185X.2006.00005.x}}</ref> and studies of other ''Banksia'' species have consistently demonstrated their involvement.<ref name="Carthew 1997">{{cite journal | author = Carthew, S. M. and R. L. Goldingay | year = 1997 | title = Non-flying mammals as pollinators | journal = [[Trends in Ecology & Evolution]] | volume = 12 | issue = 3 | pages = 104–108 | doi = 10.1016/S0169-5347(96)10067-7}}</ref> Moreover, a number of characteristics of the ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' spike are purported to be adaptations to pollination by nocturnal mammals: the strong, musky odour,<ref name="Hansen 2007"/> the occurrence of inflorescences hidden within the foliage close to the ground, the large amounts of nectar produced, and the pattern of nectar production, which peaks at dawn and dusk. This last adaptation is thought to favour visits by [[bird]]s and [[mammal]]s, which feed in the morning and evening respectively, as opposed to [[insect]]s, which are most active during the day.<ref name="Lewis 1981"/> Reproductive success is strongly affected by insects that infest the flower spikes and fruiting structures. Infestation of the flower spikes is not as severe as in other ''Banksia'' species: one study found less than 10% of ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' inflorescences to be infested, compared to over 50% for ''[[Banksia attenuata|B.&nbsp;attenuata]]'' (Candlestick Banksia), ''B.&nbsp;littoralis'' and ''[[Banksia menziesii|B.&nbsp;menziesii]]'' (Menzies' Banksia), and over 90% for ''[[Banksia grandis|B.&nbsp;grandis]]'' (Bull Banksia). Also, whereas other species were attacked by a range of insects, the inflorescence of ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' was attacked only by the [[tortrix]] [[moth]] ''[[Arotrophora arcuatalis]]'' (Banksia Boring Moth), which burrows into the woody axis, rendering the spike barren. On the other hand, the same study observed heavy infestation of fruiting structures, with over 90% of spikes with follicles found to contain at least one larva of an unidentified species of ''[[Xylorycta]]''. These larvae burrow from follicle to follicle to eat the seed, resulting in 100% seed loss for infested spikes.<ref name="Scott 1982"/> ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' is one of five ''Banksia'' species, all closely related to ''B.&nbsp;sphaerocarpa'', that have highly unusual flower [[nectar]]. Whereas other ''Banksia'' species produce nectar that is clear and watery, the nectar of these species is pale yellow initially, but gradually becomes darker and thicker, changing to a thick, olive-green mucilage within one to two days of secretion.<ref name="Markey 1996">{{cite conference | last= Markey|first= Adrienne S. |coauthors=Byron B. Lamont | year = 1996 | title = Why do some banksias have green nectar? | booktitle = International Symposium on the Biology of Proteaceae | location = Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne}} (only [https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9608&L=algae-l&P=4620 abstract] sighted)</ref> In the case of ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'', it eventually becomes "an almost black, gelatinous lump adhering to the base of the flowers".<ref name="Lamont 1980"/> This unusual nectar was first noted in 1980 by [[Byron Lamont]], who attributed it to the [[cyanobacteria]] that he observed feeding off the nectar [[sugar]]s. Noting that many of these cyanobacteria had [[heterocyst]]s, he speculated that they aid the plant by [[nitrogen fixation|fixing atmospheric nitrogen]], which is then washed off the flower heads by rain, and absorbed by the proteoid root mat. This purported [[symbiosis]] was investigated in 1985, but no evidence of nitrogen fixing was found.<ref name="Barrett 1985">{{cite journal | author = Barrett, Gregory J. and Byron B. Lamont | year = 1985 | title = Absence of nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) by procaryotes in nectar of banksias | journal = [[Plant and Soil]] | volume = 85 | pages = 443–445 | doi = 10.1007/BF02220200}}</ref> Further investigations in 1996 suggested that the discolouration is not caused by cyanobacteria or other microorganisms in the nectar, but is rather "a chemical phenomenon of plant origin".<ref name="Markey 1996"/> As of February 2007, the cause was still unknown.<ref name="Hansen 2007"/> Chemical analysis of ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' nectar has shown it to have normal nectar sugar compositions,<ref name="Nicolson 1998">{{cite journal | author = Nicolson, Susan W. and Ben-Erik Van Wyk | year = 1998 | title = Nectar sugars in Proteaceae: patterns and processes | journal = Australian Journal of Botany | volume = 46 | pages = 489–504 | doi = 10.1071/BT97039}}</ref> albeit [[sucrose]]-dominant.<ref name="Hansen 2007"/> ==Conservation== [[Image:B telmatiaea 21 gnangarra brightened.jpg|thumb|right|''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' amongst scrub in the [[Yule Brook Botany Reserve]]]] ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' is a fairly secure species, as most populations are of more than 100 plants, and 26% of known plants are in conservation reserves. Its proximity to [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]] suggests that land clearing for urban development could pose a threat, and in 1988 ''[[The Banksia Atlas]]'' recommended that "the species should continue to be monitored since land clearing could change the situation greatly, particularly amongst its northern populations." It is also known to be susceptible to dieback caused by the [[introduced species|introduced]] plant [[pathogen]] ''[[Phytophthora cinnamomi]]'', a soil-borne [[water mould]] that causes root rot.<ref name="DEH">{{cite web | url = http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/p-cinnamomi/pubs/appendix4.pdf | title = Part 2, Appendix 4: The responses of native Australian plant species to ''Phytophthora cinnamomi'' | work = [http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/p-cinnamomi/ Management of Phytophthora cinnamomi for Biodiversity Conservation in Australia] | publisher = [[Department of the Environment and Heritage]], Australian Government | year = 2006 | accessdate = 2007-04-30}}</ref> In fact it is so reliably susceptible that it used as an indicator species for the presence of the disease.<ref name="Indicator">{{cite web | title = Common Indicator Species for the Presence of Disease caused by ''Phytophthora cinnamomi'' | publisher = [[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Department of Environment and Conservation]] | url = http://www.naturebase.net/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_details/gid,312/Itemid,548/ | accessdate = 2007-05-01}}</ref> In 1987, George applied the Rare or Threatened Australian Plants ([[ROTAP]]) criteria to the species, determining it to have a conservation status of "3R": a rare species found only in small populations, but not considered endangered or vulnerable.<ref name="George 1987"/> Western Australia's [[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Department of Environment and Conservation]] do not consider it to be rare, however, and have not given it a priority code under their system of [[Conservation Codes for Western Australian Flora]].<ref name="FloraBase">{{cite web | title = ''Banksia telmatiaea'' A.S.George | work = [[FloraBase]] | url = http://florabase.calm.wa.gov.au/browse/flora?f=090&level=s&id=1852 | accessdate = 2007-01-16 | publisher = [[Western Australian Herbarium]]}}</ref> ==Cultivation== [[Image:B telmatiaea 17 gnangarra.jpg|thumb|right|''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' flowers prolifically, but hides its flower spikes within the bush, and tends to become untidy with age.]] ''B.&nbsp;telmatiaea'' is rarely cultivated. It grows fairly quickly, but tends to become untidy as it ages. The flower spikes, though attractive, occur within the bush where they are usually obscured by foliage. In its natural habitat it flowers prolifically over several months, but according to George it may be reluctant to flower in cultivation. It tolerates light pruning not below the green foliage. George recommends a sunny position in poorly drained soil, preferably with moisture in winter.<ref name="George 1987"/> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commons}} {{wikispecies}} * {{Flora of Australia Online | name = ''Banksia telmatiaea'' A.S.George | id = 3483}} * {{FloraBase | name = ''Banksia telmatiaea'' A.S.George | id = 1852}} * {{APNI | name = ''Banksia telmatiaea'' A.S.George | id = 55641}} {{featuredarticle}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Banksia telmatiaea}} [[Category:Banksia taxa by scientific name|Telmatiaea]] [[Category:Flora of Western Australia]] [[fr:Banksia telmatiaea]]