Macrozamia miquelii

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Macrozamia miquelii
Macrozamia.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnosperms
Division: Cycadophyta
Class: Cycadopsida
Order: Cycadales
Family: Zamiaceae
Genus: Macrozamia
Species:
M. miquelii
Binomial name
Macrozamia miquelii
Macrozamia Miquelii AVH Distribution Map.png
Distribution map from AVH [2]

Macrozamia miquelii, is a species of cycad in the plant family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Queensland and New South Wales in Eastern Australia. Located within sclerophyll forests dominated by eucalyptus trees, the cycad grows on nutrient-poor soils. It is recognised within the Zamiaceae family for its, medium height at 1 m, intermediate size of male and female cones and lighter green leaves compared to other cycads within the plant family of Zamiaceae. The seeds have an orange red sarcotesta which attracts fauna consumption, allowing a mutualistic seed dispersal for the cycad. These seeds are also edible for human consumption if prepared correctly to remove the toxins.

Contents

Description

Macrozamia miquelii are acaulescent. The caudex, which can grow to a diameter of 45 cm and 50 cm in height, is usually subterranean with little of it being visible above ground. [3] This cycad has between 20 and 80 slightly glossy dark green leaves (fronds) in its crown, each leaf growing to a length of 2.3 m long. The leaves consist of 80 to 160 leaflets, each leaflet is 15 cm to 50 cm long, 8 mm to 20 mm wide and are covered in grey-brown hairs. [4] Leaflets are discolorous with a dark green and slightly glossy upper surface and a paler green lower surface. [3] Distal leaflets are spaced closely to other leaflets while proximal leaflets are more spread out. The rachis of the Macrozamia miquelii remains straight with a pale green colour and the leaflets are inserted at 40 degree angles to the rachis. [4]    

Macrozamia miquelii like all cycads are dioecious. [5] The male cycad develops 1 to 5 male (pollen) cones, each cone measuring 12 cm to 28 cm in length and 4 cm to 7 cm in diameter. These cones are fusiform but curve with age and remain green throughout its lifetime. The female (seed) cycad develops 1 to 3 female cones, each cone measuring 25 cm to 40 cm in length and 10 cm to 15 cm in diameter. The female cone remains green and has a cylindrical shape. Seeds are oblong, with a length of 2 cm to 3 cm and diameter of 1.5 cm to 2 cm. [4] The sarcotesta has an orange yellow colour which turns reddish-orange when the seeds are ripe. [3]

Taxonomy

When originally named in 1862, Ferdinand von Mueller called this cycad, Encephalartos miquelii. [6] The species name honours Dutch botanist Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel. As an early pioneer of cycad systematics, Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel studied numerous species of cycads. [4]

Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson lectotypified the name in 1959 using the Thozet collection from Rockhampton. Although Ferdinand von Mueller had already indicated a preferred application, a proposal to conserve the name with Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson's lectotype was rejected by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) committee. [7] This occurred as it was considered that Ferdinand von Mueller's later attempt at restricting application of the name did not equate to lectotypification. [4]

Distribution and habitat

Macrozamia miquelii is endemic to both southern Queensland and northern NSW, from Port Curtis District to the upper Richmond River. [3] The cycad is located on ridges and slopes within sclerophyll forests where eucalyptus tree species including the Corymbia citriodora and Eucalyptus crebra dominate the canopy. Scattered within these forests, the cycad grows on low-nutrient stony or sandy soils at an altitude range of 10 m to 540 m. [4]

Ecology

The male cones of Macrozamia miquelii mature from January to March, with growths on the cone called sporophyll. [8] Hanging under the sporophyll are several male reproductive organs known as pollen sacs that produce pollen. Throughout the maturity, the male cone becomes elongated with gaps forming between individual sporophylls. The female cones produce fewer sporophyll and are larger than male cones. Each female cone will have two to eight female reproductive organs known as ovules which if fertilised will develop into seeds. Similarly, as the female cone matures from January to March, it splits apart allowing openings between the cones. [9]

Female Macrozamia miquelii cone Macrozamia miquelii cone.jpg
Female Macrozamia miquelii cone

The mature cycad requires a mutualistic relationship with fauna for its pollination and seed dispersal. [10] Thrips are lured to the male cones through the use of a strong and pungent scent. [11] The pollen grains from male cones stick to the thrip's body and can attract more than 50,000 thrips. Female cones also emit a scent when mature, attracting the pollen covered thrips and allowing pollination to occur. Once pollinated, female cones close and expand rapidly. [12]

As the sarcotesta is bright, avian and mammalian species are attracted to the seeds. [13] With no toxins in the sarcotesta, smaller fauna including wallabies, possums and crows strip off the sarcotesta, leaving the seed untouched. This would not contribute to the propagation of Macrozamia miquelii as most seeds would be left within a metre of the parent cycad. [14] Larger fauna such as emus and cassowaries have been observed contributing to seed dispersal as the seeds can be ingested and defecated intact without harming the fauna. [15]

Conservation

Macrozamia miquelii was rated as least concern by the IUCN in 2009. The IUCN has also indicated the cycad to have a decreasing population trend as a result of a declining quality of habitat. [16] Conservation areas where the cycad species is protected includes Byfield National Park and Mount Archer National Park. [4] The IUCN estimates a total of 10,000 to 20,000 mature individual plants remain within the wild. [16]

Uses

The seeds of the Macrozamia miquelii are edible after being treated. [17] The Aboriginal Australians utilised multiple traditional preparation techniques such as leaching the seeds in water and aging, to remove the toxins within the seeds for consumption. [18] One method of treatment involved pounded seeds being placed within a dilly bag that would then be left in a running stream for 6 days. This would reduce the mass of the seeds to form a paste. The paste would then be baked in ashes making the seeds edible. [19]

The pith of the cycad is also useful as it contains a toxic starch that once processed to remove the toxins, is edible and used in laundries. [5]

Toxicity

Most parts of the Macrozamia miquelii are toxic with the seeds of the cycad having a higher concentration of azoxyglycosides, including cycasin and macrozamin, than other parts of the plant. [20] Other toxins identified within the cycad include β-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) which acts as a powerful neurotoxin if ingested. The ingestion of raw cycad seeds by an animal can lead to death and cause nausea and diarrhea in humans as well as death in some cases. [15] Cycad leaves are also dangerous due to β-Methylamino-L-alanine and have been recorded to cause hind end paralysis and death in cattle. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycad</span> Division of naked seeded dioecious plants

Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody (ligneous) trunk with a crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants of a species are either male or female. Cycads vary in size from having trunks only a few centimeters to several meters tall. They typically grow very slowly and live very long. Because of their superficial resemblance, they are sometimes mistaken for palms or ferns, but they are not closely related to either group.

<i>Zamia pumila</i> Species of cycad

Zamia pumila, commonly known as guáyara in Spanish, is a small, tough, woody cycad native to the Greater Antilles. Z. pumila was the first species described for the genus and, therefore, is the type species for the genus Zamia and the family Zamiaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zamiaceae</span> Family of cycads

The Zamiaceae are a family of cycads that are superficially palm or fern-like. They are divided into two subfamilies with eight genera and about 150 species in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Australia and North and South America.

<i>Dioon</i> Genus of cycads in the family Zamiaceae

Dioon is a genus of cycads in the family Zamiaceae. It is native to Mexico and Central America. Their habitats include tropical forests, pine-oak forest, and dry hillsides, canyons and coastal dunes.

<i>Dioon edule</i> Species of cycad

Dioon edule, the chestnut dioon, is a cycad native to Mexico, also known as palma de la virgen. Cycads are among the oldest seed plants and even pre-date the dinosaurs. It belongs to the Zamiaceae plant family within the order Cycadales. The genus name "Dioon" means "two-egged", referring to the two ovules.

<i>Macrozamia moorei</i> Species of cycad

Macrozamia moorei is a cycad in the family Zamiaceae, native to Queensland (Australia).

<i>Cycas beddomei</i> Species of cycad

Cycas beddomei is a species of cycad in the genus Cycas, native to India, where it is confined to a small area of Andhra Pradesh state in the Tirumala Hills in scrubland and brush covered hills.

<i>Macrozamia concinna</i> Species of cycad

Macrozamia concinna is a part of the plant family, Zamiaceae. It originates from a division of Cycadophyta which encompasses the complete species of cycads. M. concinna is primarily habituated in New South Wales, Australia and maintains a distinct appearance allowing it to be easily identifiable from other cycads. M. concinna also implements a unique method of reproduction to fertilise its offsprings, as opposed to the common method of wind pollination. This difference in reproduction mechanisms has survived throughout the ages of prehistoric cycad species and M. concinna continues to procreate with it.

<i>Macrozamia dyeri</i> Species of cycad

Macrozamia dyeri, known as djeeri, is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia, occurring near Esperance. The seeds are consumable when prepared correctly and were an important resource to people of the region, but the plant is otherwise toxic to many species.

<i>Macrozamia glaucophylla</i>

Macrozamia glaucophylla is a species of cycad from the genus Macrozamia and the family Zamiaceae. Endemic to New South Wales, Australia, this species has features that resembles palms, although both species are taxonomically quite different. The current population trend of Macrozamia glaucophylla is stable with 2,500 to 10,000 mature individuals. The species are found in several habitats including forest and savanna. Ecologically, Macrozamia glaucophylla lives in terrestrial system, a land-based community of organisms where the biotic and abiotic components interact in the given area.

<i>Macrozamia heteromera</i>

Macrozamia heteromera is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae initially discovered by Charles Moore in 1858 and is endemic to New South Wales, Australia. It can be found in the north-western region of New South Wales within the Warrumbungle mountains and further south west towards the Coonabarabran district. It is a low trunked cycad usually at a height below 1 metre and can be found in dry sclerophyll woodlands. M. heteromera can be distinguished from the rest of the Macrozamia genus by its mid-green, narrow, usually divided pinnae and divided seedling pinnae. It is a plant that has toxic seeds and leaves, a characteristic common to cycads. However, after proper preparation and procedure, the seeds are fine for consumption.

<i>Macrozamia macdonnellii</i> Species of cycad

Macrozamia macdonnellii, common name MacDonnell Ranges Cycad, is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to the Northern Territory, Australia.

<i>Macrozamia mountperriensis</i> Species of cycad

Macrozamia mountperriensis is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae endemic to the area around Mount Perry in Queensland; however, it is not considered threatened due to its large population in the area. The species was discovered by colonial botanists including Frederick Manson Bailey and James Keys in the late 1800s. All members of the Zamiaceae family are considered to be poisonous.

<i>Macrozamia riedlei</i> Species of cycad

Macrozamia riedlei, commonly known as a zamia or zamia palm, is a species of cycad in the plant family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to southwest Australia and often occurs in jarrah forests. It may only attain a height of half a metre or form an above trunk up to two metres with long arching fronds of a similar length. The giant cones amidst the crown of palm-like fronds contain edible seeds surrounded by red sarcotesta. The seeds are consumed by birds and animals, and can be a favoured part of the human diet when prepared correctly. M. riedlei benefits from a close association with bacteria that fix nitrogen, which also produce substances found throughout the plant that are toxic to some animals when consumed. The species is cultivated for ornamental use in urban and domestic environments.

<i>Macrozamia spiralis</i> Species of cycad

Macrozamia spiralis is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to New South Wales in eastern Australia, where it is found in sclerophyll forest on low-nutrient soils. Plants generally lack a trunk and have 2–12 leaves that range up to 100 cm (40 in) in length.

<i>Encephalartos ituriensis</i> Species of cycad

Encephalartos ituriensis is a palm-like cycad of the family Zamiaceae. It is native to the grassland on two large granite monadnocks of the Ituri forest area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its IUCN conservation status is "Near Threatened."

<i>Encephalartos ghellinckii</i> Species of cycad

Encephalartos ghellinckii Lem. or Drakensberg cycad is endemic to South Africa, and is one of about 70 species found in sub-Saharan Africa. Strongly associated with the Natal Drakensberg, this 3m tall evergreen species is found from the foothills to fairly high altitudes, growing on stream banks, steep grassy slopes and sandstone outcrops. Its preferred habitat lying within grassveld, it has developed resistance to veldfires, and also the intense cold brought on by snow and frost.

<i>Encephalartos senticosus</i> Species of cycad

Encephalartos senticosus is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae native to the Lebombo Mountains of Mozambique, Eswatini (Swaziland), and the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Prior to its description in 1996, Encephalartos senticosus had been confused with the closely related and sympatric Encephalartos lebomboensis. Both species are commonly known as the Lebombo cycad.

<i>Encephalartos whitelockii</i> Species of plant

Encephalartos whitelockii is a species of cycad that is native to Uganda.

<i>Zamia integrifolia</i> Species of cycad

Zamia integrifolia, also known as coontie palm is a small, tough, woody cycad native to the southeastern United States, the Bahamas, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands.

References

  1. ↑ Hill, K.D. (2010). "Macrozamia miquelii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T42012A10622860. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T42012A10622860.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Herbaria, jurisdiction:Australian Government Departmental Consortium;corporateName:Council of Heads of Australasian. "Partners". avh.ala.org.au. Retrieved 14 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Macrozamia miquelii". plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Jones, David L.; Forster, Paul I.; Sharma, Ish K. (2001). "Revision of the Macrozamia miquelii (F.Muell.) A.DC. (Zamiaceae section Macrozamia) group". Austrobaileya. 6 (1): 67–94. ISSN   0155-4131. JSTOR   41738960.
  5. 1 2 Low, Tim (1991). Wild food plants of Australia (Revised ed.). North Ryde NSW, Australia. ISBN   0-207-16930-6. OCLC   25220546.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ↑ "Encephalartos miquelii F.Muell". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Brummitt, Richard K. (2000). "Report of the Committee for Spermatophyta: 50". Taxon. 49 (4): 799–808. doi:10.2307/1223981. ISSN   1996-8175. JSTOR   1223981.
  8. ↑ "Macrozamia miquelii - Burrawang". www.oznativeplants.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Nadarajan, J.; Benson, E. E.; Xaba, P.; Harding, K.; Lindstrom, A.; Donaldson, J.; Seal, C. E.; Kamoga, D.; Agoo, E. M. G.; Li, N.; King, E. (1 September 2018). "Comparative Biology of Cycad Pollen, Seed and Tissue - A Plant Conservation Perspective". The Botanical Review. 84 (3): 295–314. doi:10.1007/s12229-018-9203-z. ISSN   1874-9372. PMC   6105234 . PMID   30174336.
  10. ↑ Mound, Laurence A.; Terry, Irene (2001). "Thrips Pollination of the Central Australian Cycad, Macrozamia macdonnellii (Cycadales)". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 162 (1): 147–154. doi:10.1086/317899. ISSN   1058-5893. JSTOR   10.1086/317899. S2CID   86227343.
  11. ↑ Marullo, Rita; Mound, Laurence (1 January 2002). Thrips and Tospoviruses: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Thysanoptera. ISBN   978-0-9750206-0-9.
  12. ↑ "Pollination". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Cycads". www3.nd.edu. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  14. ↑ Hall, John A.; Walter, Gimme H. (2013). "Seed dispersal of the Australian cycad Macrozamia miquelii (Zamiaceae): Are cycads megafauna-dispersed "grove forming" plants?". American Journal of Botany. 100 (6): 1127–1136. doi:10.3732/ajb.1200115. ISSN   0002-9122. JSTOR   23435178. PMID   23711908.
  15. 1 2 Hall, J. A.; Walter, G. H. (August 2014). "Relative Seed and Fruit Toxicity of the Australian Cycads Macrozamia miquelii and Cycas ophiolitica: Further Evidence for a Megafaunal Seed Dispersal Syndrome in Cycads, and Its Possible Antiquity". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 40 (8): 860–868. doi:10.1007/s10886-014-0490-5. ISSN   0098-0331. PMID   25172315. S2CID   211490.
  16. 1 2 Hill, K. D. (31 October 2009). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Macrozamia miquelii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. doi: 10.2305/iucn.uk.2010-3.rlts.t42012a10622860.en . Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  17. ↑ Thieret, John W. (1 January 1958). "Economic Botany of the Cycads". Economic Botany. 12 (1): 3–41. doi:10.1007/BF02863122. ISSN   1874-9364. S2CID   1239340.
  18. ↑ Beck, Wendy (1992). "Aboriginal Preparation of Cycas Seeds in Australia". Economic Botany. 46 (2): 133–147. doi:10.1007/BF02930628. ISSN   0013-0001. JSTOR   4255419. S2CID   41448503.
  19. 1 2 Whiting, Marjorie Grant (1 October 1963). "Toxicity of cycads". Economic Botany. 17 (4): 270–302. doi:10.1007/BF02860136. ISSN   1874-9364. S2CID   31799259.
  20. ↑ Castillo-Guevara, Citlalli; Rico-Gray, Victor (2003). "The Role of Macrozamin and Cycasin in Cycads (Cycadales) as Antiherbivore Defenses". The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 130 (3): 206–217. doi:10.2307/3557555. ISSN   1095-5674. JSTOR   3557555.
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