Flora of Australia Series

Flora of Australia Volume 17b

Published 1 May 1999

This volume makes a major contribution to knowledge of Australian Proteaceae. It comprises Hakea from the trive Grevilleae (Grevillea, the other Australian genus in this trive is described in 17A), and all of the tribe Banksieae, a total of 5 genera and 322 species. Included are three major genera, Hakea (149 species), Banksia (76 species) and Dryandra (93 species) found mainly in the south-east and south-west of the continent, and two small rainforest genera from northern Queenland, Musgravea (2 species) and Austromuellera (2 species). All of these genera are endemic to Australia, with the exception of one speices of Banksia.The three large genera are conspicuous and important components of forests, woodlands and shrublands throughout much of Australia. They are important also in horticulture and floriculture, and widely grown both in Australia and overseas. In the cases of Hakea, Dryandra, Musgravea and Austromuellera, this is the first time in nearly 130 years that a complete account of the species has been compiled.