Banksia rufa ssp obliquiloba No English name Endemic
This Banksia is actually only found in this small area in the wheat belt of the south western Australia so not only is it, like many other species here, an endemic but a rare one at that. The flowers are quite large - over 6 cm in diameter and in the plant we were shown, grow near the base of the plant.
Recently it has been suggested by two scientists, Austin Mast and Kevin Thiele, that their taxonomic research indicates that all Dryandra species really belong to, and are descended from, the genus Banksia. So this one which was Dryandra ferruginea ssp obliqua is now named Banksia rufa (since the species name ferruginea is already used for a different Banksia).
So where would you look up the name of this plant? At present under Dryandra in most books since the change only took place in 2007 and is controversial (see Tony Cavanagh) to say the least but under Banksia in more up-to-date databases online such as Florabase. The opposite view is put the distinguished botanist A.S. George who says you don't have to change the names. If taxonomists have their way there will come a time when the literature and naming of these plants is gloriously confused. In the case of Dryandra ferruginea ssp obliqua to Banksia rufa ssp obliqua there isn't even a common name which would remain static as Bluebell has done in the UK when taxonomists kept changing its systematic name.
Nice to know that Taxonomists are causing mayhem with the naming of plants down under just like they are here in the UK.
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WF soc of Western Australia tour, Corrigin Lookout, Western Australia 15th September 2007
Added on 4th November 2007, updated 14th December 2008, updated 3rd March 2010, updated 7th February 2014