Historical notes: Distinguishing features: Characterised by the dull light green, stiff, flat leaves with stiff, pungent leaflets that are often dichotomously branched. Distribution and habitat: New South Wales, southern parts of the north-west slopes, from the eastern Warrumbungle Mountains east to the Mooki River. Scattered in dry sclerophyll forest on infertile siliceous soils. Conservation status: Not considered to be at risk (IUCN Red List category LR,lc).
Description:
Plants acaulescent, stem 20-40 cm diam. Leaves 12-50 in crown, bright green, semiglossy, 60-120 cm long, flat (not keeled) in section, with 70-120 leaflets; rachis not spirally twisted, straight, stiff to straight, lax and pendulous; petiole 10-20 cm long, straight, spinescent, 8-12 mm wide at lowest leaflets; basal leaflets reducing to spines. Leaflets simple or dichotomously branched, strongly discolorous; margins flat; apex entire, spinescent; median leaflets 130-210 mm long, 5-8 mm wide (ultimate segments 2-5). Pollen cones fusiform, 20-29 cm long, 6-7 cm diam.; microsporophyll lamina 23-25 mm long, 21-24 mm wide; apical spine 2-23 mm long. Seed cones ovoid, 15-18 cm long, 11-12 cm diam.; megasporophyll lamina 32-35 mm long, stipe 22-24 mm long, megasporophyll with an expanded peltate apex 40-45 mm wide, 12-18 mm high; apical spine 2-25 mm long. Seeds ovoid, 27-32 mm long, 20-24 mm wide; sarcotesta red.
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