Species & Fertilization Technique: Part of the

Banksia Heliantha Family; Animal pollinated.

Plant Structure: Clue 1.
Hypothesis: Insect pollinated
by spiders, ants, birds,
possums, bats
Pollen is partially exposed,
the anthers are exposed..
The pollen can be extracted.
No notable nectar or sent for
bees or birds. (But the
species is recognizable as
Banksia which does usually
have nectar).
The leaves are serrated and
abundant>so perhaps
possums cannot get to the
nectar?
Plant properties, clue 2.
No scent
No scent on the leaves -- But dry sample!
The flower average was 4.5 cm
The stigma was not present
The anther was 1 cm

Method: Each flower was measured with a caliper. 5

measurements. An average was taken.
A potential source of error: Dry sample difficult to
see if there was nectar!! Also the morphology could
be misinterpreted because leaves have shriveled
and color has faded.
Pollen Morphology, clue 4.
Visible to the naked eye.
Very Abundant in pollen
The pollen surrounds multiple
anthers on the one stem.
The whole flower has multiple
cluster of anthers.

Image dep
 Hypothesis:
Banksia is a large genus of over 200 species in the Protea family, The genus is almost
exclusively Australian, being found in all States and Territories. A single species
(B.dentata) is found in islands to Australia's north as well as in tropical Australia.
Insects sometimes lay their eggs in the flower buds and the larvae may eat the
seed as it develops. A small hole in the woody fruit is usually a sign that this has
happened and that the seed will not germinate.
A little on Banksia
The flower heads are made up of hundreds
(sometimes thousands) of tiny individual
flowers grouped together in pairs. The
colour of the flower heads usually ranges
from yellow to red.
The fruits of banksias (called follicles) are
hard and woody and are often grouped
together to resemble cones (which they
are not true cones are produced only by
conifers).

The fruits protect the seeds from foraging

animals and from fire. In many species the
fruits will not open until they have been
burnt or completely dried out.