Etymology:
Honouring pastoralist and politician John Douglas (1828-1904), Premier of Queensland 1877-1880 and collector of the type.
Historical notes: Distinguishing features: M. douglasii is a member of the M. miquelii complex, recognisable by its large stature, darker green leaves with only the lowermost 4-8 leaflets reduced to spines, and the very large size of the male and female cones and the seeds. Leaflets also show distinctive large white callous bases. Distribution and habitat: Queensland, in rainforests or wet sclerophyll forests on deep white sands of old coastal dune systems on Fraser Island and the Cooloola sandridges. Conservation status: Not considered to be at risk (IUCN Red List category LR,lc).
Description:
Plants arborescent, stem 0-0.6 m tall, 40-70 cm diam. Leaves 30-100 in crown, deep green, highly glossy, 160-340 cm long, flat (not keeled) in section, with 120-200 leaflets; rachis not spirally twisted, straight, lax and pendulous; petiole 45-65 cm long, straight, spinescent, 12-18 mm wide at lowest leaflets; basal leaflets reducing to spines. Leaflets simple, strongly discolorous; margins flat; apex entire, spinescent; median leaflets 270-380 mm long, 7-12 mm wide. Pollen cones not seen. Seed cones narrowly ovoid, 40-50 cm long, 15-18 cm diam.; megasporophyll lamina 55-60 mm long, stipe 35 mm long, megasporophyll with an expanded peltate apex 55-60 mm wide, 25-30 mm high; apical spine 5-28 mm long. Seeds oblong, 36-40 mm long, 24-27 mm wide; sarcotesta orange, or
red.
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