Banksia sphaerocarpa R. Br., Proteaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate; score: 1 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Banksia sphaerocarpa)

Other Latin names:  Sirmuellera sphaerocarpa (R.Br.) Kuntze

Common name(s): [more details]

English: fox banksia, round-fruit banksia

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  Brief description: "Shrub, 0.4-4 m high. Fl. yellow-orange/red-brown/purple-brown, Jan to Jul or Oct." (FloraBase)

"Shrub to 2 m tall, with lignotuber. Stems pubescent, glabrescent, usually orange-brown. Leaves: petiole 2-3 mm long; lamina stiff, narrowly linear, 2.5-10 cm long, 1-1.5 (-2) mm wide, pungent, dark green or slightly glaucous; upper surface hirsute, glabrescent. Inflorescence 3-6 cm long; involucral bracts tomentose with glabrous apices. Flowers rusty or purplish brown including styles, rarely golden. Perianth 24-39 mm long including limb of 3-5 mm, hirsute outside, pubescent inside. Pistil hooked, 29-46 mm long, glabrous; pollen presenter narrow, 0.5-1.5 mm long. Old flowers persistent. Follicles up to 60, elliptic, 15-30 mm long, 5-8 mm high, 10-25 mm wide, smooth but with lateral shoulders, hirsute, glabrescent, shining brown or orange-brown. Seed cuneate, 20-26 mm long; seed body cuneate, 10-14 mm long, 5-13 mm wide, smooth." (Flora of Australia, p. 238)

"Fire-tolerant, sprouting from the lignotuber. Follicles usually opening with fire. The lateral shoulders of the follicle valves assist to distinguish this species. Among the Abietinae probably most closely related to B. micrantha which has much smaller flowers and large flattened follicles, and to B. grossa which has coarser leaves and flowers and large velvety follicles without shoulders on the valves. ¶There are three varieties." (Flora of Australia, p. 238)

Habitat/ecology:  "Fire-tolerant, sprouting from the lignotuber. Follicles usually opening with fire."(Flora of Australia, p. 237)

var. sphaerocarpa: " Common between Eneabba and Mogumber, W.A., between the Stirling Ra. and Cape Riche, at scattered intervening localities, and as far south-west as the Whicher Ra. in sandy loam over laterite, in shrubland or low woodland; in laterite or sandy loam over laterite in Jarrah open forest; and on lateritic rises in kwongan. Flowers Jan.-July." (Flora of Australia, pp. 238)

var. caesia: "Occurs in the central and southern wheatbelt of W.A. between Piawaning, Kojonup, Newdegate and Corrigin. in laterite or shallow sandy loam over laterite, in kwongan and Wandoo open woodland. Flowers Jan.-July." (Flora of Australia, pp. 238)

var. dolichostyla: "Restricted to a small area from Mt Holland to South Ironcap, east of Hyden, W.A. in laterite, in shrubland and open woodland. . . . Flowers Mar.-May." (Flora of Australia, pp. 238)

"grows in woodland, heathland and shrubland on sandy loan or gravel soil" (OzNativePlants)

Propagation:  (no propagation information known by PIER)

Native range:  Western Australia (GRIN)

"Widespread in W.A. [Western Australia] between Eneabba, Albany and Hyden." (Flora of Australia, pp. ??)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  (no invaded habitats or impacts known by PIER; please let us know if you know of such information we should add here)

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia	Western Australia (Australia) (state)	cultivated	OzNativePlants (year unknown) accessed 20180711, photo caption: "Banksia sphaerocarpa at Mt Trio, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia", photo caption: "...Banksia sphaerocarpa sphaerocarpa, cultivated at the Banksia Farm, Mt Barker"
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	native	GRIN (year unknown) accessed 20180711, "Western Australia (s.w.)"

Comments:  After numerous online searches and review of relevant books, no mention was found of the presence of Banksia sphaerocarpa in the Pacific region. (See also Moodley 2018 pp. 89, 124, etc.) If you have any information to the contrary, please contact PIER.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Banksia sphaerocarpa, please let us know.