Drumstick flower or Rose cone

Australia is home to many exquisitely beautiful shrubs and flowers that have adapted to the harsh dry summer environment.

Isopogon is an Australian genus, of the family Protaceae; better known members being the Grevilleas and the Banksias.

There are 30 odd species  of Isopogon, found in the southern temperate-climate coastal areas.

Most species including this one, I. formosus are found in southern Western Australia.

The name is derived from components:

– isos, Greek for equal

– pogon, Greek for beard, a reference to the mauve-coloured radiating stamens that project from the small globular head. For this appearance a common name for this two metre high shrub is Rose Cone Flower.

– formosus, from Latin meaning beautiful.

This species is not native to South Australia, and Pop-Star was unaware of their existence until presented with this shrub as a present by his brother. He likes its stunning appearance when in flower late winter-spring, forming a purple haze to add colour to his garden.

Isopogon formosus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

http://anpsa.org.au/i-for.html

Photo: Brian Walters

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• Purple Haze (herybka.wordpress.com)