Some of the plants now placed in Banksia were for a long time put in the related genus Dryandra. When DNA evidence showed that the ancestry of the Dryandra species was nested within the Banksia group, all of the plants were transferred into Banksia. This required some re-naming, and the former Dryandra quercifolia could not simply be renamed as Banksia quercifolia, since there was already a Banksia with that name, so it was given the new name of Banksia heliantha on account of its sun-bust flowers. Our plant is having a very fine flowering season this year. From near the south coast of Western Australia.
Do you have those hair days where you can't do a thing with your hair, even though you're bald? Those days where the humidity just makes your hair frizz even though you shaved it all off? Those days where the wind whistles through your hair and whips it all around so that it stings your face and neck even though you're indoors? One of those days.
A shrub to small tree native to the Eastern states of Australia, usually at higher alitudes in Eucalypt woodland or the edge of rainforests. Given the weather in Canberra when I took these photos, it probably felt right at home. The flowers are densely hairy - hence 'eriantha'. Its fast growth in cool wet conditions makes it a useful garden plant in some areas, and the large seeds are eaten by at least two species of cockatoo.
Leucadendron 'Burgundy Sunset,' what a strikingly beautiful shrub! According to what I read, it is developed in South Australia from a natural mutant of Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset,' which is a hybrid of L. laureolum and L. salignum itself.
Leucadendron is a South African genus of shrubs and small trees in the Protea Family. They have flowers held in small oval clusters at the tips of the branches, but surrounding the group of tiny flowers are much more conspicuous bracts (modified leaves) that are often red or yellow, as can be seen here.
n590_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library
Via Flickr:
The botanist's repository, for new, and rare plants :. London :Printed by T. Bensley, and published by the author ... :1797-[1815]. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36003835