Banksia vincentia  |  

Banksia vincentia Stimpson & P.H.Weston (family Proteaceae) is a lignotuberous shrub, c. twice as wide as it is high, 0.30–0.75m high x 1–2 m wide. Stems basally prostrate from a lignotuber, i.e. divergent and ± horizontal in basal 20–30 cm, then ascending to erect more distally; stems under 12 months old densely covered in a 2-layered indumentum of tightly curled trichomes forming a felted layer c. 0.2 mm thick, overtopped by a much sparser layer of straight, antrorse to patent trichomes 0.2–1.3 mm long; stems older than 12 months gradually sheading (sic) trichomes until glabrescent after about 3–4 years; axillary buds prominent in immature leaves. Leaves narrowly oblong-obovate, rounded to truncate; petiole 1–3.5 mm long, moderately to densely covered in an indumentum resembling that of the stem, more sparse abaxially; lamina 12–47 mm long, 2–6.5 mm wide, entire or with 1–6 marginal teeth in the distal 1/5–1/15 of the lamina, sometimes with one or more toothless undulations replacing teeth, with slightly recurved margins; adaxial surface sparsely to moderately covered in a mixture of short, tightly curled trichomes and appressed, straight trichomes 0.2–0.5 mm long when immature, becoming glabrescent or with a few residual trichomes along the midvein when mature, RHS colour green group 139A–D when fresh; abaxial surface of lamina densely covered in a tomentum of tightly curled trichomes with a sparse layer of emergent, straight, appressed trichomes either side of the midvein, sparsely covered in straight, appressed trichomes without an underlying tomentum on the midvein, RHS colour greyed green group 195A–D when fresh, browning slightly on drying, becoming darker with age; adaxial midvein shallowly impressed proximally, flat distally; abaxial midvein 0.30.4 mm wide, prominently protruding; lamina apex mucronate. Conflorescence surrounded by a whorl of 1–4-year old branches, 75–167 mm long developing basipetally; flowers divergent, with 1417 columns of flower pairs. Involucral bracts subulate, with abaxial spine, thickened at base, villous, 1.5–3 mm long. Common bract with one thickened keel extending from apex to base of the exposed part of the bract, silky; margins distally convex; apex rounded. Perianth yellow or cream with a white to beige indumentum of appressed, straight trichomes, to orange with ferruginous indumentum; claw 19–25 mm; limb 2.5–4 mm long. Anthers 0.5–1 mm long. Style apically hooked, 26–35 mm long from ovary to bend, 5–7 mm long from bend to apex; discolorous, green for 12–16 mm above ovary, distally grading from red to maroon to black just prior to anthesis. Infructescence of similar length to conflorescences, 125–135 mm in circumference. Banksia vincentia was first discovered in 2008 near Vincentia, Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales (NSW), and was referred to as Banksia sp. Jervis Bay. The species was formally described as Banksia vincentia in 2014. Banksia vincentia is within the Banksia spinulosa complex and differs from other taxa in the complex by having a semi-prostrate growth habit. Shrubs of B. vincentia have a low stature with stems basally prostrate from the lignotuber for 20–30 cm, then distally ascending.