Dryandra ferruginea ssp obliquiloba No English name Endemic
This Dryandra 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 would become Banksia rufa (since the species name ferruginea is already used for a different Banksia). The correct, up-to-date name is now Banksia rufa ssp obliquiloba.
So where would you look up the name of this plant? At present under Dryandra in most books but under Banksia in more up-to-date databases online such as Florabase. 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 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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| Dryandra ferruginea ssp obliquiloba |
WFS of Western Australia tour, Corrigin Lookout, Australia 15th September 2007
Added on 4th November 2007, updated 14th December 2008, updated 28th March 2010