Species profile—Macrozamia platyrhachis

Classification

Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Zamiaceae → Macrozamia platyrhachis

Species details

Kingdom

Plantae (plants)

Class

Equisetopsida (land plants)

Family

Zamiaceae

Scientific name

Macrozamia platyrhachis F.M.Bailey

WildNet taxon ID

16709

Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status

Endangered

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) status

Endangered

Conservation significant

Yes

Confidential

Yes

Endemicity

Native

Pest status

Nil

Short Notes

Gymnosperm, BRI 025923, 356768 (carpological), handwriting of author

Description

Macrozamia platyrhachis is a cycad with an underground stem 25-60cm in diameter. The crown consists of 2-8 leaves, 45-80cm long, that are either erect or reclining with the ends ascending. The petiole (leaf stalk) is 9-13mm wide at the top (at first leaflet). The 36-60 leaflets are attached to a moderately twisted rhachis (stalk). Leaflets are 25-40cm long and 10-20mm wide, mid-green and glossy above, and paler green beneath.
Male cones are quadrangular in cross section, 10-23cm long, 2.7-4.5cm diameter, and straight or slightly curved with age. Female cones are ovoid (oval-shaped), 12-17cm long, 8-9cm wide, and mid-green. Seeds are 22-28mm long, 18-25mm wide, and red when ripe.
Macrozamia platyrhachis is distinguished from other species of Macrozamia by the very broad leaflets. (Hill 1998; Queensland Herbarium 2007)

Map

View Map

Habitat

Macrozamia platyrhachis is scattered and locally abundant in eucalypt woodland or open forest at altitudes between 300-780m above sea level. The mid- and under-stories of the vegetation may be quite dense, but this is variable depending on fire history. The species grows on deep sandy soils, derived from sandstone. (Hill 1998; Queensland Herbarium 2007)

Behaviour

Macrozamia platyrhachis plants are extremely fire-prone and are burnt irregularly at intervals of two years or longer. M. platyrhachis is unusual in being pollinated by Cycadothrips thrips in a mutualistic relationship. (Terry et al. 2005; Queensland Herbarium 2007)

Reproduction

The seed of Macrozamia platyrhachis becomes ripe in March and April. As with all Macrozamia species, the fresh seed is not ready to germinate for another 12 months, due to the delayed fertilisation process unique to cycads. (Queensland Herbarium 2007)

Human uses

The species is suspected of having toxic parts (Everist 1974).

Threatening processes

Continued illegal collecting of seed and plants, and destruction of plants by pastoralists as the species is poisonous to stock.

Management documents

Conservation and management of protected plants in trade in Queensland 1995-1998. Department of Environment.
Queensland Herbarium (2007). National Multi-species Recovery Plan for the cycads, Cycas megacarpa, Cycas ophiolitica, Macrozamia cranei, Macrozamia lomandroides, Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi and Macrozamia platyrhachis. Report to Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Canberra. Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane.

Notes

Contributors: Weslawa Misiak, 16/09/1998; Ailsa Holland, Mellisa Mayhew 18/06/2009

References

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Macrozamia platyrhachis in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Accessed 09/10/2008.
Everist, S. (1974). Poisonous Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson Publishers Pty Ltd. Sydney.
Herbrecs (2008). Macrozamia platyrhachis, in BriMapper version 2.12. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 09/10/2008.
Hill, K.D. in McCarthy, P.M. (Ed) (1998). Flora of Australia 48: 651.
Norstag, K.J. & Nicholls, T.J. (1997). The Biology of the Cycads. Cornell University Press: Ithaca (USA) and London, UK.
Queensland Herbarium (2007). National Multi-species Recovery Plan for the cycads, Cycas megacarpa, Cycas ophiolitica, Macrozamia cranei, Macrozamia lomandroides, Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi and Macrozamia platyrhachis. Report to Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Canberra. Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/pubs/cycads.pdf
Terry, I., Walter, G.H.,Donaldson, J.D., Snow, E.L, Forster, P.I., Machin, P.J. (2005). Pollination of Australian Macrozamia cycads (Zamiaceae): effectiveness and behaviour of specialist vectors in a dependent mutualism. Americal Journal of Botany 92: 931-940.

Profile author

Ailsa Holland (18/06/2009)

Other resources

• Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT)
• The Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH)
• Atlas of Living Australia

Data source

This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=16709.

This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.