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Macrozamia moorei F. Muell

Cycad

This cycad is native to Queensland, Australia, and is not found in the wild in North America. It is considered a threatened species. These are truly ancient plants, dating all the way back to the early Mesozoic era.

Plants: While many cycads are low to the ground, this species resembles a palm tree, reaching up to 23′ (7 m) in height, making it the tallest member of Macrozamia. The trunk is 1½–2½′ (50–80 cm) in diameter.

Leaves: Up to 8′ (2.5 m) long, arching upward and bending downward, with 120-220 leaflets. Individual leaflets are 8–14 ⨉ ⅛–⅜″ (20–35 cm ⨉ 5–10 mm).

Fruits: Male and female cones are on separate plants (“dioecious“). 1-8 green, barrel shaped female seed cones oocur on each plant. Each code is 1–3′ (40–90 cm) long is 15-20 cm in diameter. Up to 100 spindle-shaped. It takes 50 years for plants to begin producing cones. Seeds are ovoid and about 1½–2 ⨉ ⅞–1½″ (4–6 ⨉ 2.5–4 cm). They are red to scarlet when ripe..

Habitats: On low hills (elevatiions of 984–1640′ (300–500 m), in dry sclerophyll forest at the edge of rainforest, in woodland and also in the valleys and escarpments of rocky gorges on shallow rocky soils.

Macrozamia moorei (cycad)

”Confined to the Springsure to Carnarvon Range district of central Queensland, where it is locally abundant in open dry woodland, on shallow, rocky, usually poor soils.” (From Ken Hill, at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.)

Online References:

Wikipedia

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species

The Gymnosperm Database

Wikimedia Commons

Encyclopedia of Succulents

Encephalartos moorei (F.Muell.) F.Muell.

 

Macrozamia moorei (cycad)

2/26/2010 · San Diego Zoo, San Diego, Cali­fornia

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionCycadophytaAll cycads—primitive palm-like plants
ClassCycadopsidaCycads
OrderCycadalesLiving cycads (most are extinct)
FamilyZamiaceaeCycas that are superficially palm- or fernlike
GenusMacrozamiaFrom Neolatin macro, “largest,” and Zamia, from “Zamia nuces,” itself a misreading of “azaniae nuces,” meaning pine cones
SpeciesmooreiFor Charles Moor, head of Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens in the 19th century

About plant names...

Macrozamia moorei description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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