AUSTRALIA

Genera = Cycas, Bowenia, Macrozamia, Lepidozamia

USES

As a food or commodity

• Cycads have been used as a food source in Australia for at least 4,300 years (Beaton 1982).
• Use of the genus Cycas particularly is widespread and the seeds from this genus are eaten in North Queensland and Groote Eylandt. Seeds are prepared in 3 ways - click here.
• Cycads are also used as a communion food when large groups are gathered together.
• Cycas media is used by aborigines in Northern Queensland as a food source (Thierret 1958).
• Macrozamia miquelii is used as a food in Southern Queensland.
• Macrozamia communis is also known as 'Burrawang'. A factory was set up in New South Wales where this species grows to produce burrawang starch commercially to be used for adhesive paste. This was not profitable and the factory was soon shut down (Thierret 1958).

As a sacred or medicinal plant

• Cycad products are used for initiation rites and other important rituals (Whiting 1963).
• During certain ceremonies a special cycad cake is made but only the men are allowed to eat it. There is also a special bread made from cycad starch which fighting men are prohibited from eating (Beck 1992).