Kingia australis, an unusual variant found in the Stirling Range National Park. This species is usually found along the West-Australian coast from Cervantes to Albany. This population of Kingia were found more inland, and also had a silver hue to the leaf surfaces, as opposed to a general green colour. Upon closer inspection it is clear that the colour difference stems from tiny white hairs on the plant itself. After doing some digging, I found that there is no explanation for this adaptation (to the best of my knowledge). This adaptation could originate from the reflective properties of the silver hairs, cooling the plant leaves more efficiently to combat the heat and intensity of the suns UV rays. However, this population of Kingia are situated in the southern part of Australia, where temperature extremes are not serious enough for this adaptation (as well as the fact that Kingia populations situated further north can survive well without this silver-hair adaptation). Nevertheless, sometimes it’s best to let Mother Nature do her thing, and enjoy the silver pops of colour in the bushland.
Kingia australis are also the only species in the genus Kingia, which is uncommon under floral taxonomic orders. These prehistoric-looking plants are so very interesting, and there is still much to be researched about many other species like this in Australia.
Reference: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/1221
