The dryandras were named in honour of Swedish
botanist Jonas C. Dryander. The first specimens of a
Dryandra were collected by
Archibald Menzies, surgeon and naturalist to the
Vancouver Expedition. At the request of
Joseph Banks, Menzies collected natural history specimens wherever possible during the voyage. During September and October 1791, while the expedition were anchored at
King George Sound, he collected numerous plant specimens, including the first specimens of
B. sessilis (Parrotbush) and
B. pellaeifolia. Upon Menzies' return to England, he turned his specimens over to Banks; as with most other specimens in Banks' library, they remained undescribed for many years. Further specimens were collected in late 1792 by
Jacques Labillardière, one of five naturalists in
Bruni d'Entrecasteaux's expedition in search of the lost expedition of
Jean-François de La Pérouse. While ashore west of
Esperance Bay between 11 and 18 December, Labillardière collected the first specimens of
B. nivea (Honeypot Dryandra). ==Description==