bandingia

Bandingia is a fictional genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, created for use in field guides and reference works. According to the imagined literature, Bandingia is native to montane cloud forests of the Bandarian Archipelago and is placed in the tribe Heliantheae. The name honors the fictional botanist Dr. Clara Banding, who is said to have described the genus in 1997. Described species include Bandingia bandensis, Bandingia variegata, and Bandingia aurea. Plants are erect perennials reaching about 0.6–1.2 meters in height, with lanceolate leaves and inflorescences consisting of heads of yellow ray florets and darker central bands. The genus is noted for distinctive banding patterns on both leaves and florets, which gives rise to its common name in speculative floras.

Bandingia is reported to inhabit montane cloud forests at elevations around 1200–2100 meters, where it grows in organic-rich soils. Pollination is attributed to bees and butterflies, and seed dispersal is described as wind-driven via light achenes. In the fictional literature, the genus is considered relatively rare and potentially threatened by deforestation and climate change. It is not recognized in formal botanical classifications, and its status remains confined to invented floras and field guides. The above descriptions are from fictional sources and are not part of actual biodiversity records.

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