Flowers of Banksia spinulosa, a member of the Proteaceae, growing at Olinda, Victoria, Australia. Seen are open flowers (orange hues), and the narrow

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Flowers of Banksia spinulosa, a member of the Proteaceae, growing at Olinda, Victoria, Australia. Seen are open flowers (orange hues), and the narrow leaves with fine spines that give the plant its specific name. Banksia is a genus limited to Australia, and is named after Sir Joseph Banks, who collected plants on James Cook's first expedition to Botany Bay in 1770. Banksias are adapted to survive wildfires. The pollinated flowers mature into persistent cones, and the valves of the capsules comprising the cone remain closed until fire causes them to open and release the seeds.

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Size: 3468px × 5212px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, australia, australian, banks, banksia, bay, biological, biology, botanical, botany, capsule, captain, cone, cook, fire-adapted, flora, james, joseph, nature, persistent, plant, proteaceae, seeds, sir, spinulosa