Banksia blechnifolia

Enlarge for best view of stunning leaf underside detail.

Banksia blechnifolia is a showy prostrate shrub, native to a small southern region of Western Australia. I am very excited to have sourced this plant, as I find it highly intriguing in both looks and growth habit.
The leaves are up to 45 cm long, 4 to 10 cm wide, deeply lobed and bluish green; young growth is covered with reddish hairs. The inflorescence is 6 to 16 cm long and 7 to 8 cm wide. Flowers are reddish-pink, becoming cream towards the base. What is curious is that they appear to come straight from the ground, almost as if unattached to the plant itself. Flowering occurs in spring, from late September to mid-November.

Growing to several metres in diameter.

comments (6)

Christine Young

Lion

Amazing detail! I'm glad you said to zoom in! Posted 4 years ago
1. Ruth Spigelman
  
  Lion
  
  I've learned that the word blechnifolia is a composite of the fern genus Blechnum and the Latin word folium meaning a leaf, referring to the resemblance between the leaves of this species and the fronds of Blechnum. Posted 4 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Fascinating! Thanks for the info. :) Posted 4 years ago

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Micro endemic...very special! Posted 4 years ago
1. Ruth Spigelman
  
  Lion
  
  Let's hope I can give it what it needs here on the east coast. Follow up shots hopefully to come, as it progresses. Posted 4 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    I just looked up what the flowers look like. Bizarre. I love the weird and the bizarre. Posted 4 years ago

The Banksia blechnifolia

''Banksia blechnifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Banksia'' found in Western Australia. It gained its specific name as its leaves are reminiscent of a fern . ''B. blechnifolia'' is one of several closely related species that grow as prostrate shrubs, with horizontal stems and leathery, upright leaves.

Info 2 0

Similar species: Proteales

Species identified by Ruth Spigelman