I have a couple of weeks easier and then the rest of the month full on so I am going with the theme Things Aussie for this month - that way I can draw on images that I have when times get tough!
This week it's FLORA!
Another love - but they're all related so it's not surprising :)
Hakea is a member of the Protea family (Proteaceae) and its close relatives include Banksia and Grevillea. All species of Hakea are endemic to Australia. Hakeas can be found in many different environments; the tropics, mountains, the coast and desert areas. The most diversity in the genus occurs in the south of Western Australia.
The flowers of Hakea are followed by hard, woody seed pods each containing two seeds and, in the majority of species, these pods remain tightly closed unless stimulated to open by heat, such as following a bushfire, or by the death of the plant.
Stunning diptych , of a very unusual plant to us in the northern hemisphere - a lovely flower and to think that the seed-head producing only two seed ,which are only released in extreme heat or the demise of the parent plant - mazing how the species survives !
