Conesticks

Description:

Petrophile canescens, commonly known as "conesticks", is a common shrub of the family Proteaceae, found in eastern Australia. It can grow to a height of 4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m). The nut, which looks like a small pine cone, is about 2 cm long, shorter than the bract with hairs often longer than the bract. The plants I saw along the track were quite sparse and spindly, but that's not surprising considering we've been in drought for the past 12 months or more. All that aside, these specimens seemed quite healthy.

Habitat:

Grows in dry and wet heath and dry sclerophyll forest on deep sandy soils on the coast and ranges. In this area, mostly granite soils, and this section of track was quite exposed with a sunny aspect. Spotted along the Mt. Norman track in Girraween National Park. Here's some park info - http://www.rymich.com/girraween/

Notes:

Here's a spotting by fellow PN member MacChristiansen, which has a couple of good photos of the Conestick flowers - https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/43...