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| Photo Ken Hill
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| The Cycad Pages
| | Macrozamia riedlei
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- Macrozamia riedlei (Gaudich.) C.A. Gardner, Enum. Pl. Austral. Occid., 3 (1930).
Cycas riedlei Fisch. ex Gaudich., in Freycinet, Voy. Aut. Monde, Bot., 434 (1826).
- TYPE: Australia, Western Australia, "In Novae Hollandiae ora occidentali Port du roi George" (holo P).
Etymology:
Honouring Riedle ()
Historical notes:
Distinguishing features:
These are smaller plants than the other Western Australian species, with
fewer but glossier and flat leaves, and smaller cones. They are also
seldom arborescent.
Distribution and habitat:
South-western Australia, from Dwellingup to Albany and west to the coast.
Widespread and abundant as an understorey plant in jarrah forest.
Conservation status:
Not considered to be at risk (IUCN Red List category LR,lc).
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| Photo Ken Hill
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| Photo Ken Hill
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Description:
Plants acaulescent or arborescent (rarely), stem 0-0.3 m tall, 25-40
cm diam.
Leaves 12-30 in crown, bright green to deep green, semiglossy to
highly glossy, 121-220 cm long, slightly keeled to flat in section
(opposing leaflets inserted at 130-180° on rachis), with 92-150 leaflets;
rachis not spirally twisted, straight, stiff; petiole 18-50 cm long,
straight, spinescent; basal leaflets reducing to spines.
Leaflets simple, weakly discolorous; margins flat; apex entire,
spinescent; median leaflets 230-480 mm long, 7.5-11 mm wide.
Pollen cones fusiform, 29-41 cm long, 11-15 cm diam.; microsporophyll
lamina 32-50 mm long, 25-33 mm wide; apical spine 8-75 mm long.
Seed cones ovoid, 25-35 cm long, 14-18 cm diam.; megasporophyll
lamina 80 mm long, megasporophyll with an expanded peltate apex 70 mm wide, 23
mm high.