Banksia aquilonia

Banksia aquilonia, commonly known as the northern banksia and jingana, is a tree in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to north Queensland on Australia’s northeastern coastline. The species is found in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest margins on sandy soils.

About Banksia aquilonia in brief

Banksia aquilonia, commonly known as the northern banksia and jingana, is a tree in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to north Queensland on Australia’s northeastern coastline. With an average height of 8 m, it has narrow glossy green leaves up to 20 cm long and 6 to 10 cm high pale yellow flower spikes, known as inflorescences. As the spikes age, their flowers fall off and they develop up to 50 follicles, each of which contains two seeds. The species is found in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest margins on sandy soils. It regenerates after bushfire by regrowing from epicormic buds under its bark. The plant is in bloom from March to June and is rarely cultivated. It has hard, fissured, grey bark, and narrow elliptic or lanceolate leaves measuring 5–20 cm long by 0.

6–1. 2 cm  wide with entire margins and acute tips. The midrib on the leaves’ undersides is distinctively covered in short reddish-brown hairs and the leaves are spirally arranged on the branches rather than in whorls as in all B.  integrifolia subspecies. The northernmost populations of B. aquilonia are separated from the southernmost. populations of Banksia integr ifolia by 200km. The Banksia Atlas recorded large adult and juvenile plants up to 38cm long along the Tully to Mission Beach Road and a smaller population of smaller shrub-sized plants in Wooroonan National Park. B. Aquilonia resembles it species from B. Integrifolia, though the overall habit of a Banks aquilonian tree resembles that of B integrIfolia, though it is generally smaller.

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