Historical notes: Distinguishing features: Similar to M. fawcetti, but separated by the overall smaller sizes of all parts. and the more distinctly flattened petiole. Distribution and habitat: Highly localised and probably rare, on sandy soils over granite in moderately wet eucalypt woodlands in the Wyberba district of the Qld Darling Downs. Conservation status: Known only from a few stands, some of which are conserved in Girraween National Park (IUCN Red List category LR,nt; ROTAP category 2RC-). 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 10-20 cm diam. Leaves 2-8 in crown, bright green or deep green, semiglossy or highly glossy, 35-60 cm long, with 80-160 leaflets; rachis strongly spirally twisted, straight, stiff or recurved, arching stiffly downwards; petiole 9-21 cm long, straight or recurved, unarmed, 8-14 mm wide at lowest leaflet; basal leaflets not reducing to spines. Leaflets simple, strongly discolorous; margins flat; apex entire, not spinescent; median leaflets 70-200 mm long, 3-11 mm wide. Pollen cones fusiform, 9-18 cm long, 3.5-5 cm diam.; microsporophyll lamina 15-20 mm long, 12-18 mm wide; apical spine 0-15 mm long. Seed cones ovoid, 8-14 cm long, 5.5-7 cm diam.; megasporophyll lamina 20-25 mm long, megasporophyll with an expanded peltate apex 30-50 mm wide, 10-15 mm high; apical spine 0-15 mm long. Seeds ovoid, 20-24 mm long, 17-23 mm wide; sarcotesta red.
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