Banksia***

The nectar is especially favoured by children who lick and suck on the flower heads  or the flower is rubbed between the fingers and palms which are then licked and sucked Young inflorescences used to carry fire. When inflorescences are more developed they are cleaned back to expose the 'velvet', and these are used as nostril ornaments. The nectar is especially favoured by children who lick and suck on the flower heads.

In olden days the smouldering inflorence was held on the cheek to ease toothache .

"Arri-bilikan kuybuk."

(We carry fire in banksia cones.)

Small scraggly tree to 6 m high with rough, dark grey bark. Leaves alternate, crowded towards end of branches, broadly oblong tapering to the base, blade 140-270 mm long x 50-70 mm wide, shiny dark green above, white underneath, irregularly toothed margins. Flowers yellow with protruding style about 20-30 mm long, numerous in large dense cylindrical spikes about 100-130 mm long x 50-100 mm wide on short thick stalks. Fruit many woody wedge-like follicles embedded in a large rough woody cylindrical cone 100-130 mm long. Found in lowland wetlands, margins of freshwater swamps, open forest and woodland in moist or seasonally flooded low areas.

Atlas of Living Australia