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''Banksia epica'' is a shrub that grows on the south coast of Western Australia. A spreading bush with wedge-shaped serrated leaves and large creamy-yellow flower spikes, it grows up to 3½ metres (11½ ft) high. It is known only from two isolated populations in the remote south east of the state, near the western edge of the Great Australian Bight. Both populations occur amongst coastal heath on cliff-top dunes of siliceous sand. One of the most recently described ''Banksia'' species, it was probably seen by Edward John Eyre in 1841, but was not collected until 1973, and was only recognised as a distinct species in 1988. There has been very little research on the species since then, so knowledge of its ecology and cultivation potential is limited. It is placed in ''Banksia'' ser. ''Cyrtostylis'', alongside its close relative, the well-known and widely cultivated ''B. media'' (southern plains banksia). == Description == ''Banksia epica'' grows as a spreading bushy shrub with many branches, from 30 centimetres to 3½ metres (1–11½ ft) tall. It has grey, fissured bark, and dark green, wedge-shaped leaves, 1½ to 5 centimetres (½–2 in) long and 6 to 15 millimetres (– in) wide, with serrated margins. Flowers occur in ''Banksia''s characteristic "flower spike", an inflorescence made up of hundreds of pairs of flowers densely packed in a spiral round a woody axis. ''B. epica''s flower spike is yellow or cream-yellow in colour, cylindrical, 9 to 17 centimetres (3½–6½ inches) tall and around 6 centimetres (2½ inches) in diameter. In bud, it may have green-grey or brownish pollen presenters, not unlike ''B. robur'' (swamp banksia). Each flower consists of a tubular perianth made up of four fused tepals, and one long wiry style. Characteristic of its taxonomic section, the styles of ''B. epica'' are straight rather than hooked. The style ends are initially trapped inside the upper perianth parts, but break free at anthesis. The fruiting structure is a stout woody "cone" embedded with up to 50 follicles; old withered flower parts persist on the "cones", giving them a hairy appearance. The follicles have an attractive purple hue. ''Banksia epica'' is similar in appearance to its close relative ''B. media'', from which it differs in having slightly shorter leaves and larger flowers. In addition, the persistent flower parts on ''B. epica''s fruiting structures are curled and point upwards, whereas they are straight and point downwards on ''B. media''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Banksia epica」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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