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Banksia Cone
Material ID: 2107
Description
This knobbly and characterful Banksia seed pod is specially adapted to survive the wildfires and drought common to parts of Australia. The various species of Banksia tree (of which there are about seventy-five) all produce a particularly dense, moist and thick woody pod with a unique geometry that insulates and transfers heat away from the seeds in a variety of different ways, protecting them from heat damage so that they can survive and reproduce. This enormous pod is also able to self-seal any small fissures in its skin whilst growing, with waxes that melt in the Australian heat to fill any cracks. Once picked and dried, these properties make this large and woody pod solid enough to be turned as if it were a chunk of wood. Wood artist Darren Appiagyei makes beautiful vessels from these woody wildflowers.
The seeds are housed inside the little singing ‘mouths’ all over the surface of this pod. These little hinged, woody capsules are closed whilst the seeds are maturing, but are designed to open during or soon after a fire. It used to be thought that heat from a wild fire melted resins that kept the seed pod’s little lips tightly closed. However it is now though that the seed pods are made up of layers of cellulose in different orientations that dry and shrink to different degrees when exposed to heat, causing the mouths to open and release mature seeds into fire-cleared, brightly-lit soil that has recently been fertilised with ash. This gives this kind of fire-stimulated seed a favourable start in an extremely harsh and demanding environment.
Library Details
Site
Stratford
Status
In Library
Location
Wooden Shelves
Form
Object, Cone
Handling guidance
Wash hands after handling.
Date entered collection
Tuesday 18th June, 2024