A conifer look-alike

Took these photos at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, a month ago.
The seed pods (?) are shown in the last two photos, next to a pen and a few Cupresus cones.

Anyone know what it is ?

Thanks in advance.

 

Could it possibly be a Grevillea? This pic is on the University of California web site.

http://ohric.ucdavis.edu/photos/fullsize/Grevillea2.jpg

 

If not Grevillea, certainly something in the family Proteaceae.

 

Having Googled a great many photos, it looks to me like the plant is more likely a Banksia than a Grevillea.
But no good match anywhere.
So I sent an e-mail to the San Diego WAP, requesting that they ID it.
Stay tuned....

 

From further Googling, it appears that the plant is more likely from the Myrtaceae family -- possibly Melaleuca, Callistemon, or Darwinia.

 

Did it smell cypressy??

Liz

 

I think that all I could smell was the dung from the nearby elephant compound :O)

Sorry, I really don't recall any noticeable smell....

 

Ooops, yes, could well be Myrtaceae.

 

I just received a reply from the Lead Gardener at the park.

Here's what he writes:

Thanks again for the reply, Robert.

 

So I got a bunch of seeds from a supplier in south-western Australia.
Mostly Calothamnus species, but also Regalia velutina and Beaufortia decussata.
The Calothamnus seeds are almost microscopic -- as are the seedlings that come up.....
Has anyone else here tried to propagate these ? .....the germination rate for some of them is pretty low.