Major Groups, Families and Genera

Banksia

There are about 60 species in the genus Banksia which was named after Sir Joseph Banks (1743 - 1820), an eminent botanist and plant collector. They are usually plants of poor sandy soils, particularly heathlands near the coast in Western Australia.

Banksias are woody plants varying in shape, size and habit, from trees of 15 m or more to shrubs and small bushes. The flower spikes are large and spectacular and consist of thousands of closely packed flowers. Each flower is made up of 4 segments which split apart and roll back to release a wiry style, giving the inflorescence a brush-like appearance.

The fruit is a woody "cone" with deeply embedded seed capsules which need the extreme heat of a bushfire to crack them open .This releases the winged seeds which then fall to the ground to germinate.