Etymology: Honouring Dutch medical practitioner and botanist F.A.W. Miquel, a director at Rotterdam Botanic Garden (1835-46), Amsterdam Botanic Garden (1846-1859) and Utrecht Botanic Garden (1859-1871), where he was also director of the Rijksherbarium. Miquel was the pre-eminent figure in cycad studies of the 19th Century. Historical notes: Distinguishing features: M. miquelii is part of a complex of closely related taxa occurring in a mosaic pattern in southern Queensland. It is recognised within this group by its intermediate stature, often lighter green leaves with petioles spinescent almost throughout, lowermost leaflets grading evenly into spines in a regular progression to the smallest spine, and the intermediate size of the male and female cones. Distribution and habitat: Southern Queensland and northern N.S.W., from Rockhampton to the upper Richmond River. Scattered in sclerophyll forests on poor soils. Conservation status: Not considered to be at risk (IUCN Red List category LR,lc). Description:
Plants acaulescent, stem 20-40 cm diam. Leaves 30-80 in crown, deep green, highly glossy, 80-180 cm long, flat (not keeled) in section, with 80-160 leaflets; rachis not spirally twisted, straight, lax and pendulous; petiole 20-40 cm long (5-10 cm spine-free), straight, spinescent, 10-18 mm wide at lowest leaflets; basal leaflets reducing to spines. Leaflets simple, strongly discolorous; margins flat; apex entire, spinescent; median leaflets 220-380 mm long, 7-11 mm wide. Pollen cones fusiform, 13-20 cm long, 4.5-5 cm diam.; microsporophyll lamina 17-20 mm long, 9-13 mm wide; apical spine 1-25 mm long. Seed cones narrowly ovoid, 22-30 cm long, 8-10 cm diam.; megasporophyll with an expanded peltate apex 40-50 mm wide, 15-20 mm high; apical spine 0-35 mm long. Seeds oblong, 25-35 mm long, 20-25 mm wide; sarcotesta orange, or
red.
|
