Australian Native Plants

  Banksia epica


Banksia epica photo
Banksia plants, currently flowering in the Banksia garden in Kings Park

Photograph by Gnangarra...commons.wikimedia.org. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Banksia epica photo
Banksia epica

Photograph by Gnangarra...commons.wikimedia.org. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Banksia epica photo
Banksia epica cone with purple follicles, Banksia Farm

Photograph by Cas Liber. License: Public Domain.    (view image details)




PLANT FACTS

distribution map showing range of Banksia epica in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License


Description
Banksia epica is a dense spreading shrub with grey bark and wedge-shaped serrated leaves. The leaves are about 2cm to 5cm long and to 15mm wide. The flower spike is yellow or creamy yellow in colour and about 20cm in length. and 10cm in diameter. The fruit is a woody cone with up to 50 follicles. This plant was recognised as a separate species as recently as 1988. It is similar in appearance to B. media (Southern Plains Banksia) but B. media has longer leaves and smaller flowers.

Habitat
found on sandy soil on coastal heath, cliff tops, and coastal sand dunes

Distribution
Banksia epica is native to Western Australia where it is found on the south coast on the Great Australian Bight, east of Esperance.

Growth Characteristics
Height: 2m
Spread: 2m - 3m

Wildlife Interest
birds, nectar, insects



Classification
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Proteales
Family:Proteaceae
Genus:Banksia
Species:epica


Relatives in same Genus
  Banksia aculeata
  Banksia aemula
  Banksia anatona
  Banksia ashbyi
  Banksia attenuata
  Banksia audax
  Banksia baueri
  Banksia baxteri
  Banksia benthamiana
  Banksia blechnifolia
  Banksia brownii
  Banksia burdettii
  Banksia caleyi
  Banksia candolleana
  Banksia canei
  Banksia carlinoides
  Banksia chamaephyton
  Banksia coccinea
  Banksia conferta ssp conferta
  Banksia conferta ssp penicillata
  Banksia cuneata
  see A-Z list for more ...