A cladistic analysis of Banksia (Proteaceae)

Banksia is a genus of more than 90 taxa, many of which are common and characteristic in sclerophyll communities in eastern and south-western Australia. Cladistic analyses based on morphological and anatomical characters were used to resolve relationships in the genus. An initial analysis of 35 terminal taxa, including 9 infrageneric taxa assumed to be monophyletic on the basis of one or more synapomorphies, allowed resolution of basal nodes. Subsequent analyses of the putatively monophyletic infrageneric taxa allowed resolution of distal nodes. Some of these lower-level analyses used a mixture of qualitative characters and coded morphometric characters. Together, the analyses afforded a high degree of resolution within the genus, although relationships of some taxa were not well supported. A new infrageneric classification, in which Banksia is divided into 2 subgenera, 12 series and 11 subseries, is proposed. The classification is broadly similar to previously published classifications of the genus, but discards a number of taxa shown to be para- or poly-phyletic. The following new names are published: Banksia series Lindleyanae K.Thiele, series Ochraceae K.Thiele, subseries Leptophyllae K.Thiele, subseries Longistyles K.Thiele, subseries Nutantes K.Thiele, subseries Sphaerocarpae K.Thiele, subseries Cratistyles K.Thiele, subseries Acclives K.Thiele, subseries Integrifoliae K.Thiele, subseries Ericifoliae K.Thiele, subseries Occidentales K.Thiele and subseries Spinulosae K.Thiele. New combinations are provided for Banksia penicillata (A.S.George) K.Thiele, B. brevidentata (A.S.George) K.Thiele, B. hiemalis (A.S.George) K.Thiele and B. dolichostyla (A.S.George) K.Thiele.