Banksia sphaerocarpa var. dolichostyla, Family Proteaceae, also known as Ironcaps Banksia, is a dense-canopied shrub or small tree to 4 m tall. It has bluish-green, narrowly linear, toothless, glaucous leaves. Flower heads are golden, erect and spherical. Fruiting cones are spherical with up to 60, often crowded, follicles. It differs from Round-fruited Banksia (Banksia sphaerocarpa var. caesia) and Fox Banksia (Banksia sphaerocarpa var. sphaerocarpa) in its longer floral whorl (49–55 mm long) and its longer pistil (carpel, female flower parts).
Ironcaps Banksia |
Banksia sphaerocarpa var. dolichostyla
Status: Vulnerable on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
-
Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Banksia sphaerocarpa var. dolichostyla
Threats The main identified threat to Ironcaps Banksia are direct destruction of plants through gravel mining; mineral exploration and cutting of survey lines inappropriate fire regimes weed invasion changed hydrology salinisation and fragmentation (Mollemans et al.; 1993 NLWRA; 2002).
Mining related activities may increase weed invasion and encourage inappropriate fire regimes (Mollemans et al.; 1993).