Burrawang
Macrozamia communis

Family: Zamiaceae

What it is like

A medium sized cycad. The trunk can be underground or can emerge from the ground. It can be 2 m tall and 20 cm across. The young leaves are light green. There are about 100 mature leaves which form a rounded crown. They are 0.7-2 m long by 30-50 cm wide. They are bright green. They arch over. The leaf stalk is 10-40 cm long. It is swollen and woolly at the base. There are 70-130 leaflets on each leaf. They tend to be crowded near the middle of the leaf. They have a sharp tip. The lower leaflets are like spines. The average leaflet is 15-35 cm long and 0.5-1.2 cm wide. The cones are different. The male cones are 20-45 cm long by 8-14 cm wide. They are usually curved and green with 1-5 on each plant. The female cones are 20-45 cm long by 10-20 cm wide and barrel shaped with 1-3 on each plant. The seeds are 2.5-3 cm long by 1.5-2 cm wide. They are oval and can be yellow, orange or red.

There are about 38 Macrozamia species. It is endemic to Australia.

Where it is found

It is a warm temperate climate plant. It tends to grow on sand and gravel in coastal warm temperate areas in Eastern Australia. It can tolerate frost. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. Melbourne Botanical Gardens. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin), Tasmania

How it is used for food

CAUTION The seeds are poisonous without proper processing. The seed kernels are eaten after proper processing. The treatment includes leaching and aging. They are made into a kind of bread.

Edible parts

Seeds kernel, nuts, caution

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

It is slow growing. Seedlings take some years to develop into mature plants.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Zamia spiralis;