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~Banksia~
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
I took this photo a while back whilst visiting Wittunga Botanical Gardens with a friend. It is of a Banksia flower. I have never actually seen this one before with all the feathery bits on it, I don't know which one it is exactly so if anyone can help me here that would be greatly appreciated!
Banksia is a genus of about 75 species in the Protea family (Proteaceae). All species occur in Australia with one (B.dentata) extending to islands to Australia's north. Banksias can be found in most environments; the tropics, sub-alpine areas, the coast and desert areas. The most diversity in the genus occurs in the south of Western Australia where over 80% of the species occur.
Discovery:
Archaeological evidence suggests that banksias or Banksia-like plants have existed for over 40 million years. The first humans to discover and make use of Banksia plants were the Australian aborigines who used the nectar from the flowers as part of their diet.
The first Europeans to observe banksias were probably Dutch explorers who made several landfalls along the West Australian coast during the 17th and early 18th centuries. No botanical collections were made, however, until the discovery of the east coast of Australia by Captain James Cook in the Endeavour in April 1770. Accompanying Cook were botanists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander who collected many new species at Botany Bay including four which would later be included in a new genus, Banksia, named in honour of Joseph Banks' contribution to botany. The four species collected were B.serrata, B.ericifolia, B.integrifolia and B.robur. Later, on the same voyage, Banks and Solander collected a fifth species (B.dentata) on the north Queensland coast.
Banksia flowers are quite small but they occur in dense clusters which, in some species, can number several thousand individuals. Banksias are classified into two broad groups; sub-genus Isostylis and sub-genus Banksia. The former consists of only three species, all native to Western Australia, and is recognised by having flowers in cone-shaped clusters. This group is similar in many ways to the related genus Dryandra. The sub-genus Banksia has its flowers arranged in the more or less cylindrical spike familiar to most Australians.
The relationship between Banksia and Dryandra is so close that some botanists believe that the two genera should be combined. This view appears to be gaining wider acceptance and it is possible that Dryandra will be subsumed into Banksia in the future, which would more than double the number of Banksia species.
Banksia flowers are followed by large, woody seed "cones" in which the seeds are contained within closed follicles, two seeds per follicle. In the majority of species these follicles remain tightly closed unless stimulated to open by heat, such as following a bushfire but, with a few species, the seed is released annually. The seeds themselves have a papery wing which allows them to be distributed by wind.
Most banksias are medium shrubs but some are prostrate and a few can become large trees. Those species native to areas where fires occur at regular intervals often have a "lignotuber", a woody swelling at or below ground level from which regeneration of the plant can occur if the above ground stems are destroyed. Other species are killed in fire, with seedlings sprouting in their place.
PP Work:
RAW to JPEG
Cropped the image a tad
Altereed the brightness and contrast levels a tad
Sharpened the image
Thanks for looking and for your comments and critiques! Cheers Tina :-) |
JPlumb, deblink, scottevers7, nainnain, Adanac has marked this note useful
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- trinko
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 593 W: 79 N: 323]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(4314) - [2007-05-20 21:22]
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interesting flower good focus nice blurred background
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- arfer
![Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-n.gif)
(0) - [2007-05-20 22:54]
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Hello Tina
An interesting flower,very exotic looking for me.The colours are lovely.Wonderfully composed with sharp details.Very nicely lit.TFS
Rob
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- JPlumb
(2884)
- [2007-05-20 22:59]
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Hi Tina, very cool shot of the Banksia. I haven't seen one like this yet so I'll keep looking. Your colour and detail on this one are excellent. Excellent processing from RAW.
Thanks, John
Hi Tina,
Great image of this banksia. The quality of the image is fabulous. I like all the furry bits too. Aren't some plants just amazing. Well seen and captured.
Cheers,
Debbie
Hi Tina,
An interesting and exotic looking flower. One that I have never seen before. Rich color saturation and good detail in this. Great supporting notes. Always some exotic stuff from the land down under.
Scott
bonjour TINA
je n' avais pas vu vettte petit merveille, tres bon travail, bonne note, j' adore ces couleurs, bonne netteté
bravo merci
edith
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- Adanac
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5208]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(17609) - [2007-05-29 20:38]
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Hello Tina,
What a strange and interesting blossom you have capyured with great details and lovely colors, I learned something from you todat, thanks Tina.
Rick
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- edal
(1849)
- [2007-06-23 12:48]
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Hi Gypsy!
Starting from your latest banksia I went back to this first one of yours. It's a really very well presented ancient plant, and a strange one too...
Anton
