Banksia spinulosa
The hairpin banksia ("Banksia spinulosa") is a species of woody shrub, of the genus "Banksia" in the family Proteaceae, native to eastern Australia. Widely distributed, it is found as an understorey plant in open dry forest or heathland from Victoria to northern Queensland, generally on sandstone though sometimes also clay soils. It generally grows as a small shrub to in height, though can be a straggly tree to . It has long narrow leaves with inflorescences which can vary considerably in coloration; while the spikes are gold or less commonly yellowish, the emergent styles may be a wide range of colours – from black, purple, red, orange or yellow.
Banksia marginata
In the Gibraltar Range National Park, it is a dominant shrub of open heathland and a non-dominant shrub of closed heath, mostly found in swampy heath associated with sedges. Plants here have some degree of self-compatibility. In the Sydney region, it grows in association with heath banksia ("Banksia ericifolia"), old man banksia ("B. serrata"), mountain devil ("Lambertia formosa"), lance-leaved geebung ("Persoonia lanceolata") and dwarf apple ("Angophora hispida") in heathland, and with silvertop ash ("Eucalyptus sieberi"), Blue Mountains ash ("E. oreades"), Sydney peppermint ("E. piperita"), scribbly gum ("E. haemastoma"), Blue Mountains mallee ash ("E. stricta"), brittle gum ("E. mannifera"), snow gum ("E. pauciflora") and red bloodwood ("Corymbia gummifera") in forested areas.