Coast Banksia

Description:

Various stages of fruiting of a Banksia.

Habitat:

Sandy coastal fire trail, 50 meters behind the beach. Last photo shows the habitat.

Notes:

In the early 1900's May Gibbs wrote a story Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, the gumnut babies. She based some of the characters and scenery on the plants found in the bushland of Bunbury, Western Australia, where she played as a child. The "big bad" Banksia Men were the villains of the story and were modelled on the appearance of aged Banksia "cones", with follicles for eyes and other facial features. I think every Australian child of my era owned that book. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snugglepot_...