Brilliant Banksias
Banksias are a native plant to which country?
Australia
Banksias can survive what natural disaster?
Bushfire
Are Banksias a tree or shrub?
Both
Where are Banksia seeds sorted?
Seed pod
What is the start of the Banksia life cycle?
Seed
Who is the Banksia named after?
Sir Joseph Banks
How long have Banksias existed for?
More than 40 million years
For what purpose do people commercially grow Banksias?
To sell in flower arrangements
What animal likes to feed on Banksias?
Birds, possums, bees, ants, bush rat and flying fox
What is the banksia flower shape likened to?
Candle, cone or brush
What food source does a Banksia provide to other animals?
Nectar
What are the woody seed pod called that stores the seed?
Follicles
How many different species of Banksias are there?
About 170
What type of environment do Banksias grow in?
Bush, shrublands, rainforests, some dry areas
What part of the Banksia, when you eat it, is like eating chewing gum?
The bud
What is a threat, starting the D, that can stop their life cycle progression?
Diseases
What type of threat involves heavy machinery and threatens their life cycle progression?
Land clearing
What natural occurrence threatens that life cycle progression and how often?
Fire, too many of them cause harm
What other plant threatens the Banksia?
Invasive weeds
What feature of a banksia allows it to travel and grow elsewhere?
Paper like shape of the seed
What are the primary pollinators of Banksia flowers?
Birds (honeyeaters) and mammals (possums, bush rats)
Woody underground part that allows regrowth after a fire
What is the function of Banksias proteoid roots?
Helps collect nutrients from poor soil
What happens if fewer birds visit banksia flowers?
Less pollen moved between flowers; fewer flowers; fewer seeds
How many tiny individual flowers make up a single banksia flower head?
Hundreds to thousands