Macrozamia heteromera: Difference between revisions
Added new sections and information |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Species of cycad}} |
|||
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} |
||
{{Speciesbox |
{{Speciesbox |
||
| Line 14: | Line 13: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''''Macrozamia heteromera''''' is a species of [[plant]] in the family [[Zamiaceae]]. It is [[endemic]] to [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]].<ref name=iucn/> |
'''''Macrozamia heteromera''''' is a species of [[plant]] in the family [[Zamiaceae]]. It is [[endemic]] to [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]].<ref name=iucn/>It is endemic to New South Wales, Australia, occurring in dry sclerophyll woodlands. Its height is usually below 1 meter as it is a low trunked cycad. The M. Heteromera can be distinguished from the rest of the Macrozamia Genus by its mid-green, narrow, usually divided pinnae and divided seedling pinnae<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Jones|first=David|title=Flora of Australia|publisher=Australian Government Pub. Service|year=1998|volume=48|location=Canbera|pages=658-659}}</ref>. |
||
== Discovery == |
|||
The Macrozamia Heteromera was first discovered by Australian Botanist Charles Moore during a journey in which he discovered leaf specimens of the Heteromera <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Moore|first=Charles|date=1883|title=Notes on the Genus Macrozamia|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41415233#page/169/mode/1up|journal=Journal and proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales|publisher=Macquarie Centre Soc|volume=17|pages=115-122|via=Biodiversity Library}}</ref>. However, as Moore was unable to collect any of the fruit, he did not have enough information to provide a thorough description of the plant<ref name=":1" />. It was not until the year 1882 where Moore’s assistant Mr. Betche had collected adequate specimens of the leaves and fruit of the Heteromera which upon receiving in 1883 was named by Moore <ref name=":1" />. At the time, Moore had believed that there were two other variations of the M. Heteromera . He named the two variants glauca and tenuifolia<ref name=":1" />. The glauca was distinguishable by its longer leaves that lacked the rigidity and was always glaucous and glabrous<ref name=":1" />. The tenuifolia’s leaves were more rigid of a dark green colour<ref name=":1" />. Furthermore, its pinnae forked twice and was bright red at the base. However, after a small revision in 1998 by David L Jones, the glauca and tenuifolia variants became recognised as their own species under the M. Heteromera complex<ref name=":0" />. The glauca variant became known as the Macrozamia glaucophylla and the tenuifolia became the Macrozamia polymorpha <ref name=":0" />. |
|||
== Description == |
|||
The Macrozamia Heteromera is a small low-trunked cycad that often grows to a height of less than 1 meter'''.''' The stem grows up to 15 to 25cm in diameter and is light green in colour. The leaves can grow to around 50 to 90 cm long and are comprised of up to 60 to 100 pinnae of a mid-green colour that branches into two which is a feature that helps to distinguish this from other species within the same genus <ref name=":0" />. The number of cones is very irregular, a feature of the Macrozamia species. However, on average, male plants can have up to 4 cones that are curved, and females have 1 to 2 of an ovoid shape<ref>{{Cite book|last=Norstog|first=Knut|url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7591/9781501737329/html|title=The Biology of the Cycads|last2=Nicholls|first2=Trevor J.|date=2019-05-15|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=978-1-5017-3732-9|language=en|doi=10.7591/9781501737329}}</ref>. Male cones typically range from 12–20 cm long and up to 5 cm in diameter, females range from 10–25 cm long and are up to 12cm in diameter. Inside the cones are sacrotesta red seeds around 26-31 mm long and 20–25mm wide <ref name=":0" />. |
|||
== Distribution and habitat == |
|||
Occurring on sandy, stony and infertile siliceous soils over acid volcanics and often in dry sclerophyll woodlands, Macrozamia Heteromera is an endemic species to New South Wales. It can be found in north-western New South Wales in the Warrumbungle Mountains and further south west<ref name=":0" />. |
|||
== Ecology == |
|||
The seeds from this cycad are edible after proper preparation. The first reported poisoning from this cycad occurred in 1916 within the Coonabarabran district. Some fatalities of cattle had been reported and those affected had staggered and lost control of their hind quarters <ref>{{Cite journal|last=Whiting|first=Marjorie Grant|date=1963-10-01|title=Toxicity of cycads|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860136|journal=Economic Botany|language=en|volume=17|issue=4|pages=270–302|doi=10.1007/BF02860136|issn=1874-9364}}</ref>. It was previously believed that the Heteromera had caused a mass sheep poisoning in the Coonabarabran in 1929 wherein sheep had eaten the seeds of the cycad for an hour unmonitored <ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Hall|first=J. A.|last2=Walter|first2=G. H.|date=2014-08-01|title=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|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-014-0490-5|journal=Journal of Chemical Ecology|language=en|volume=40|issue=8|pages=860–868|doi=10.1007/s10886-014-0490-5|issn=1573-1561}}</ref>. This resulted in 5 sheep dying within 18 to 20 hours and death continuing for 3 weeks resulting in 2,200 sheep dying out of 6,000<ref name=":2" />. However, it was later confirmed that the poisoning was caused by Macrozamia diplomera via a veterinary report<ref>{{Cite book|last=agriculture.|first=New South Wales. Ministry of|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/780069290|title=Agricultural gazette of New South Wales.|publisher=Government printer|oclc=780069290}}</ref>. Farmers have used terms such as ‘zamia staggers’, ‘zamia rickets’ or ‘zamia wobbles’ to describe the symptoms due to cattle consuming macrozamia seeds and leaves<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Asmussen|first=Brit|date=2012|title=Aboriginal vernacular names of Australian cycads of Macrozamia, Bowenia and Lepidozamia spp.: a response to "Cycads in the vernacular: a compendium of local names"|journal=Australian Aboriginal Studies|volume=2012|issue=12|pages=54|via=Gale Academic Onefile}}</ref>. Farmers had coined the term ‘sheep nuts’ for M. Heteromera’s seeds<ref name=":3" />. |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 12:22, 17 May 2021
| Macrozamia heteromera | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Cycadophyta |
| Class: | Cycadopsida |
| Order: | Cycadales |
| Family: | Zamiaceae |
| Genus: | Macrozamia |
| Species: | M. heteromera
|
| Binomial name | |
| Macrozamia heteromera C.Moore
| |
| |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Macrozamia heteromera is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to New South Wales, Australia.[1]It is endemic to New South Wales, Australia, occurring in dry sclerophyll woodlands. Its height is usually below 1 meter as it is a low trunked cycad. The M. Heteromera can be distinguished from the rest of the Macrozamia Genus by its mid-green, narrow, usually divided pinnae and divided seedling pinnae[2].
Discovery
The Macrozamia Heteromera was first discovered by Australian Botanist Charles Moore during a journey in which he discovered leaf specimens of the Heteromera [3]. However, as Moore was unable to collect any of the fruit, he did not have enough information to provide a thorough description of the plant[3]. It was not until the year 1882 where Moore’s assistant Mr. Betche had collected adequate specimens of the leaves and fruit of the Heteromera which upon receiving in 1883 was named by Moore [3]. At the time, Moore had believed that there were two other variations of the M. Heteromera . He named the two variants glauca and tenuifolia[3]. The glauca was distinguishable by its longer leaves that lacked the rigidity and was always glaucous and glabrous[3]. The tenuifolia’s leaves were more rigid of a dark green colour[3]. Furthermore, its pinnae forked twice and was bright red at the base. However, after a small revision in 1998 by David L Jones, the glauca and tenuifolia variants became recognised as their own species under the M. Heteromera complex[2]. The glauca variant became known as the Macrozamia glaucophylla and the tenuifolia became the Macrozamia polymorpha [2].
Description
The Macrozamia Heteromera is a small low-trunked cycad that often grows to a height of less than 1 meter. The stem grows up to 15 to 25cm in diameter and is light green in colour. The leaves can grow to around 50 to 90 cm long and are comprised of up to 60 to 100 pinnae of a mid-green colour that branches into two which is a feature that helps to distinguish this from other species within the same genus [2]. The number of cones is very irregular, a feature of the Macrozamia species. However, on average, male plants can have up to 4 cones that are curved, and females have 1 to 2 of an ovoid shape[4]. Male cones typically range from 12–20 cm long and up to 5 cm in diameter, females range from 10–25 cm long and are up to 12cm in diameter. Inside the cones are sacrotesta red seeds around 26-31 mm long and 20–25mm wide [2].
Distribution and habitat
Occurring on sandy, stony and infertile siliceous soils over acid volcanics and often in dry sclerophyll woodlands, Macrozamia Heteromera is an endemic species to New South Wales. It can be found in north-western New South Wales in the Warrumbungle Mountains and further south west[2].
Ecology
The seeds from this cycad are edible after proper preparation. The first reported poisoning from this cycad occurred in 1916 within the Coonabarabran district. Some fatalities of cattle had been reported and those affected had staggered and lost control of their hind quarters [5]. It was previously believed that the Heteromera had caused a mass sheep poisoning in the Coonabarabran in 1929 wherein sheep had eaten the seeds of the cycad for an hour unmonitored [6]. This resulted in 5 sheep dying within 18 to 20 hours and death continuing for 3 weeks resulting in 2,200 sheep dying out of 6,000[6]. However, it was later confirmed that the poisoning was caused by Macrozamia diplomera via a veterinary report[7]. Farmers have used terms such as ‘zamia staggers’, ‘zamia rickets’ or ‘zamia wobbles’ to describe the symptoms due to cattle consuming macrozamia seeds and leaves[8]. Farmers had coined the term ‘sheep nuts’ for M. Heteromera’s seeds[8].
References
- ^ a b Hill, K.D. 2003. Macrozamia heteromera. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 22 August 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Jones, David (1998). Flora of Australia. Vol. 48. Canbera: Australian Government Pub. Service. pp. 658–659.
- ^ a b c d e f Moore, Charles (1883). "Notes on the Genus Macrozamia". Journal and proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 17. Macquarie Centre Soc: 115–122 – via Biodiversity Library.
- ^ Norstog, Knut; Nicholls, Trevor J. (15 May 2019). The Biology of the Cycads. Cornell University Press. doi:10.7591/9781501737329. ISBN 978-1-5017-3732-9.
- ^ Whiting, Marjorie Grant (1 October 1963). "Toxicity of cycads". Economic Botany. 17 (4): 270–302. doi:10.1007/BF02860136. ISSN 1874-9364.
- ^ a b Hall, J. A.; Walter, G. H. (1 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 1573-1561.
- ^ agriculture., New South Wales. Ministry of. Agricultural gazette of New South Wales. Government printer. OCLC 780069290.
- ^ a b Asmussen, Brit (2012). "Aboriginal vernacular names of Australian cycads of Macrozamia, Bowenia and Lepidozamia spp.: a response to "Cycads in the vernacular: a compendium of local names"". Australian Aboriginal Studies. 2012 (12): 54 – via Gale Academic Onefile.
 | This cycad article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Australian plant article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |