Macrozamia glaucophylla

Macrozamia glaucophylla is a species of cycad from the genus Macrozamia and the family Zamiaceae. Endemic to New South Wales, Australia, this species have 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.
Description.
"Macrozamia glaucophylla" is a small to medium-sized cycad that has a normally subterranean unbranched caudex and has glaucous blue fronds with divided pinnae. The median pinnae are usually dichotomously branched, while the basal pinnae are not reducing to spines. It has large bulbous underground trunk, medium-sized and strongly keeled leaves. Macrozamia glaucophylla has red-coloured ovoid seed cones, fusiform pollen cones, and megasporophyll with an expanded peltate apex.
"Macrozamia glaucophylla" is known as an attractive, tolerant to drought, rare ornamental plant with long blue-bluish glaucous leaves strongly recurved near the apex. The plant is acaulescent, meaning it has a short stem concealed on the ground. "Macrozamia glaucophylla" has fronds that has an average height of from the ground surface. The maximum height reached by this plant was approximately . The new fronds have glaucous blue color which changes to a bluish-green color as the plant ages. The callouses of this species are pinkish red, located at the point where the pinnae join the rachis. However, these callouses transforms in to a creamy-white color as they age.
"Macrozamia glaucophylla" has emerging fronds that are similar to that of Lepidozamia peroffskyana. The fronds rise almost vertically with furled pinnae. After reaching a considerable proportion of the maximum length, the pinnae begin to unfurl. "Macrozamia glaucophylla" generally has fronds with divided pinnae. The pinnae is normally divided into two sub-leaflets. The second division of pinnae commonly results in 3 sub-leaflets, sometimes results in the formation of 4 sub-leaflets. The female cones of "Macrozamia glaucophylla" are the largest in size for any section Macrozamia species in the New South Wales. This species has irregular coning cycle. When the coning process occurs, generally both male and female species participate in a large group. As the result from the coning process, female Macrozamia glaucophylla will be seen to have two cones, meanwhile the male species has up to four cones. After the coning episode, plenty number of seeds, with the flesh removed by kangaroos, feral pigs, or opossums, are found near the female "Macrozamia glaucophylla". These seeds usually appear with teeth marks. The size of the seed in "Macrozamia glaucophylla" that grows in the Northern part of the distribution section are relatively larger in size than that of "Macrozamia diplomera", "Macrozamia heteromera", and other section of the Macrozamia genus.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature.
"Macrozamia glaucophylla" was previously identified under the species "Macrozamia heteromera" as the “blue form” of "Macrozamia heteromera" based on its glaucous blue leaves. It was also known as Macrozamia sp. “Northern Piliga” based on the habitat it is mostly found. In 1998, "Macrozamia glaucophylla" was first discovered and named by David Jones as a distinct and separate species in the Macrozamia genus. The name comes from the Greek word, glauco, that means “bluish waxy bloom” and the word phyllon, that means “leaf”, referring to the bluish glaucous leaves of the species.
Habitat and Distribution.
"Macrozamia glaucophylla" is distributed within the range of the northern area of the Pilliga State Forest, south Narrabri. This forest is also known as Pilliga Scrub, or simply, the Pilliga. The forest is located in between the town Coonabarabran and Narrabri. The overall area of the Pilliga forest exceeds 450,000 hectars after adjoining the Pilliga Nature Reserve in 1968.
Narrabri is located above the sea level with a significant annual average rainfall of 599 mm and precipitation falls of 23.6 inch. Narrabri has an average temperature of 19.1 °C or 66.3 °F. According to Köppen and Geiger, Narrabri is classified as Cfa (humid subtropical) with warm and temperate climate.
The yearly rainfall in Narrabri occurred occasionally during summer, taking one-third of the rainfall. On a seasonal basis, the rest two-third are spread equally throughout the rest of the year. The seasonal rainfall pattern of Narrabri described in numbers are: Summer (33%), Autumn (22%), Winter (21%), and Spring (24%).
Ecology.
"Macrozamia glaucophylla" growns in either a pattern of isolated individual botanicas or in thick, populated stands formed in scattered locations. The species usually grows in sandy and deep soil, below a sparse canopy of either "Acacia spp.", "Callitris spp." (principally "Callitris glaucophylla" - the "White Cypress Pine") or "Eucalyptus spp." ("Eucalyptus crebra Fl. Muell", "Eucalyptus elegans A.R. Bean", "Eucalyptus racemosa var. longiflora Blakely" – the “Narrow-leaved Ironbark”). In addition, the canopy cover provided by these plants for "Macrozamia glaucophylla" is the most exposed and open canopy cover among the cycad group in the New South Wales. Kangaroos, feral pigs and possums are involved in eating the flesh of the seed of "Macrozamia glaucophylla", by taking the seed near the tree and drop it underneath. The seeds eaten by feral pigs usually appear with teeth marks.
Cultivation.
As a member of the cycad group, "Macrozamia glaucophylla" requires minimum attention and is undemanding in the envinronmental needs for the cultivation process. Hence, "Macrozamia glaucophylla" is ideal for low-maintenance garden. The genus Macrozamia mixes well with other plants, including palms, bromeliads, succulents, and grass trees. "Macrozamia glaucophylla" is suitable for either in-ground plantings or contains. Nevertheless, this species has sharp leaflets and spines on the cone scales and leaf bases which are not suitable for children and pets.