Etymology:
Latin, parcus, sparing or frugal, and folius, leaf, from the fine and wispy leaflets.
Historical notes: Distinguishing features: Closely allied to M. pauli-guilielmi, differing in the even narrower, thinner-textured, darker green leaflets. Distribution and habitat: An uncommon species occurring in scattered stands on shallow clay-loams derived from basalt in the Biggenden district. Conservation status: Known only from a few stands, not well conserved and potentially under threat (IUCN Red List category VU; ROTAP category 2V-). Gazetted as a Rare or Threatened Plant under Queensland Nature Conservation legislation. 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category V.
Description:
Plants acaulescent, stem 10-25 cm diam. Leaves 1-4 in crown, bright green, highly glossy, 65-95 cm long, with 100-220 leaflets; rachis strongly spirally twisted, straight, stiff; petiole 15-30 cm long, straight, unarmed, 6-9 mm wide at lowest leaflets; basal leaflets not reducing to spines. Leaflets simple, strongly discolorous; margins incurved; apex entire, not spinescent; median leaflets 150-400 mm long, 1-3 mm wide. Pollen cones fusiform, 7-14 cm long, 2.5-4 cm diam.; microsporophyll lamina 12-18 mm long, 12-17 mm wide; apical spine 0-15 mm long. Seed cones ovoid, 8-14 cm long, 4-6 cm diam.; megasporophyll lamina 15-20 mm long, megasporophyll with an expanded peltate apex 20-27 mm wide, 10-14 mm high; apical spine 0-28 mm long. Seeds ovoid, 17-25 mm long, 15-20 mm wide; sarcotesta red.
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