Macrozamia.
In Family Zamiaceae there are around 40 species all native to Australia.
They are palm-like plants with a stem that can be below ground or above ground and up to 1 m high.
The long arching leaves are spirally arranged.
They are once divided into 2 rows of many narrow linear leaflet.
The leaflets insert onto the upper part of the side of the midrib.
There is a pale or coloured swelling or callus where the leaflet inserts onto the midrib.
The old leaves do not fall off but are usually cut off in gardens.
The leaflets have parallel veins but no obvious midrib.
Young leaves may have some simple or branched hairs.
Male and female cones, both on a stalk are on different plants.
On both the sporophylls are spirally arranged on the cone.
Male microsphorophylls and female megasporophylls all have a long narrow upturned spine at the tip.
The 2 ovules on the inner or upper surface of the megasporophylls develop into oblong or ellipsoidal
fruit with a red, orange or yellow fleshy outer layer around the hard seed.
J.F.
