[3] Botanist and plant taxonomist Kevin Thiele analysed the morphometrics in his cladistic paper of 1996, and announced that the Ironcap banksia warranted specific status.

He analysed Banksia micrantha as the sister group to the pair of B. sphaerocarpa var.

[5] George replied in the 1999 Flora of Australia treatment of Banksia that he did not feel this character alone justified specific rank, and that otherwise the plant was merely larger in all parts to var.

[4] In 2002, Austin Mast's molecular study yielded a surprise when molecular analysis mapped out the Ironcap banksia as a sister taxon to its geographical neighbour B. violacea in a larger group together with B. laricina and B. incana.

dolichostyla has been declared Rare flora by the Western Australian state government;[7] its status is deemed to be in the wild either rare, in danger of extinction, or otherwise in need of special protection, and have been gazetted as such, following approval by the Minister for the Environment, after recommendation by the State's Endangered Flora Consultative Committee.