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Macrozamia miquelii
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.
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. 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. Cycad leaves are also dangerous due to β-Methylamino-L-alanine and have been recorded to cause hind end paralysis and death in cattle.
Macrozamia miquelii is endemic to both southern Queensland and northern NSW, from Port Curtis District to the upper Richmond River. 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.
The seeds of the Macrozamia miquelii are edible after being treated. 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. 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.
Cycad · Burrawong · Nundle Cycad · Cycad · Cycad · Cycad · Macrozamia diplomera · Macrozamia douglasii · Macrozamia dyeri · Cycad · Macrozamia fawcettii · Macrozamia fearnsidei
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Macrozamia miquelii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
