Roots of Banksia spp. (Proteaceae) with Special Reference to Functioning of Their Specialized Proteoid Root Clusters

Banksia is a genus within the subfamily Grevilleoideae of the family Proteaceae. All but one of its 76 species are confined to Australia, with the vast majority of species endemic to heathlands and open woodlands of the “kwongan”-type Mediterranean ecosystems of southwest Western Australia (George, 1981, 1998; Beard and Pate, 1984). This region also contains > 40% of the worlds estimated 1700 species of Proteaceae and the major share of those in Australia (Douglas, 1995).