commonly known endangered species plant family endemic south west western_australia belongs subgenus closely related species dome shaped heads characteristic flower spikes small tree high foliage pink cream appear late spring october december collected near town officially described australian botanist scattered populations survive fragments remnant region cleared agriculture listed description grows single small tree erect main stems reports maximum height vary flower said look somewhat like smooth grey bark bark near base trunk lightly older trees young stems covered hairs short soft long coarse lost age leaves deep green glossy pale green roughly oval shaped concave lying flat sharp point tip points margin range length width long young leaves coating hairs sides soon lost pits appearing october december late spring flowers occur dome shaped heads diameter growing ends branches comprise individual flowers enclosed base long flower consists comprising united single style initially enclosed limb breaks free long limb colour grades red base pale yellow limb styles straight long uniformly cream old flowers soon fall flower heads revealing woody dome embedded grey colour smooth shortly oval shaped measuring long high wide contains winged seeds long easily distinguished species smaller leaves flowers fruit foliage taxonomy discovery naming discovered september survey northwest months later november collected location type specimen recognised new species published referred interim informal names included entry second edition book formal publication occur following year george new taxa notes appeared specific epithet derives flower reference low number flowers flower head species uneventful history synonyms subspecies varieties published placement george placed subgenus dome shaped flower heads analysis genus based morphology yielded information relationships george placement species retained george largely discarded changes arrangement placement unaffected placement summarised follows sections series species subspecies varieties american botanist authors publishing results ongoing analyses dna sequence data comprised genera analyses suggest phylogeny differs greatly george taxonomic arrangement resolves sister taxon closest relative resolves sister suggests clade appears fairly derived evolved relatively recently implying subgenus merit rank early mast rearranged genus merging publishing taxa having shaped encompassing taxa lacking shaped publishing arrangement dna sampling complete meantime mast changes taken interim arrangement placed phylogeny relationships members remain unclear mast studies found basal species study genetic divergence subgenus yielded possibilities analyses suggested basal suggested situation southernmost closest population genetic origin population unknown arisen transitional ancestral form finally factors suggest basal species occurs species common restricted transitional rainfall zone recently evolved species common distribution habitat occurs range kilometres miles southern parts region populations known containing adult plants total known population population appears decline estimated containing plants survey found adults dead plants survey found adults dead plants healthy population spanning reserves private property population appears increasing survey found nearly adult plants small population spanning nature reserve private property population apparently decline reported location number reported adults fell recently discovered healthy population private property survey counted adults dead plants species grows sand dunes white white grey yellow brown sand system salt creeks populations occur low lying areas near creeks atop dunes vegetation described low open woodland heath tall open scattered trees ecology little published ecology lifespan probably years species observed feeding flowers insects including ants butterflies beetles native bees birds insects function probably effective study collected tended plant moving plants assessments mating system species found rates vary populations populations disturbed environments tending populations relatively intact attributed range causes firstly higher density disturbed populations leads greater rates mating neighbouring plants resulting genetic structure effective secondly disturbed populations usually lack support resident population instead rely sporadic visits greatly reduced rates means fewer average leading selection like plants south west western_australia adapted environment events relatively frequent species placed broad groups according response fire killed fire fire release canopy seed bank promoting recruitment generation survive fire rarely protected thick bark thin bark lacks killed fire species weakly fire seed release seed release occurs absence fire seed rates high study found rates better tested seed likely remain viable long time seed closely related remains viable years conservation listed endangered species federal environment protection biodiversity conservation act act rare western_australia wildlife conservation act rankings small severely fragmented distribution ongoing degradation habitat threats include grazing sheep rabbits drought drift chemicals surrounding farmland invasion rising studies shown moderately susceptible cultivation rarely seen cultivation said merit consideration receives fast growing plant flowers producing lovely masses like cream flowers foliage makes unsuitable growth near paths prone lose branches strong wind attacked beetles propagation seed hard obtain seeds require treatment days propagation cutting attempted possible closely related propagated way albeit unpredictable results plant grown deep acidic neutral sand sheltered site recommended young encourage branching
Banksia oligantha