Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Macrozamia spiralis

Young cone and leaves. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT

Young cone and leaves. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT

Common name

None

Family

Zamiaceae

Where found

Dry forest. Coast and ranges north of Wollongong.

Notes

Palm like plant. Seeds with a fleshy outer layer. Stem subterranean. Leaves basal, 2–12 in the crown, 60–100 cm long. Rachis twisted up to 180 degrees, rarely up to 360 degrees, leaflets 45–120, spreading, longest 12–20 cm long, 5–10 mm wide, dull, rarely glaucous, pinkish to red or orange at the base, basal leaflets not reduced to spines. Male and female cones on different plants. Cones 120–200 mm long, spines on male cones to 1.5 cm long, spines on female cones to 3 cm long. Seeds orange to red when ripe. 

Protected NSW.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Macrozamia~spiralis (accessed 25 January, 2021)