Macrozamia riedlei

Macrozamia riedlei grows as a tree or trunkless low growing cycad (but is usually trunkless) attaining a height between . Between 12 and 30 glossy mid- to dark-green leaves emerge from its crown, each reaching long and bearing 92–150 pinnae. The leaves are palm-like, each frond having a thickened mid-rib with the pinnae evenly arranged at either side. The flowering period occurs between September and October. The dioecious genus is noted for the large size of the reproductive structure, and this species is remarkable in several of those aspects. The female cone measures wide and long, and the weight has been recorded up to ; the eggs and spermatozoids are visible to the naked eye. The cones persist on the plant for many months, the smaller pollen-bearing cone remaining green and the larger female cone becoming prominently red. Spores are contained in small box-like structures on the underside of the leaf until ripe, a similar structure at the receptive cone is reduced to two seeds that remain attached to the leaf. It differs from other West Australian macrozamias in that it is generally trunkless, smaller, has fewer and glossier flat leaves, and has smaller cones. ==Taxonomy ==

The first species description was published as Cycas riedlei by Friedrich Ernst Ludwig von Fischer, based on a specimen collected at King George Sound and held at the Paris museum. The species name honours French gardener Anselme Riedlé. An orthographic variant—M. reidlei— was used by the revising author, Charles Gardner, when assigning it to the genus Macrozamia and citing specimens obtained near Collie, Manjimup, Bow Bridge, and other sites south of Perth. Different names are applied to various parts of the plants and its products, most of which has had some application as food or material resource. == Distribution ==

Occurring on lateritic soils, often in Jarrah forest, it is an endemic species of southern Western Australia. The species also occurs at the west of the Esperance Plains and on the Swan Coastal Plain. == Ecology ==

The 'nuts' from this plant have been successfully used as food by Indigenous Australians after proper processing; however, when eaten by European explorers they incurred poisoning: The Willem de Vlamingh incident, the earliest episode of a European poisoning themselves with an Australian plant, was recorded as an unsigned entry in the ship's journal, the officer being one of several who ventured to eat the seeds while exploring the Swan River area. Ingestion of the unprepared seed induced vomiting after several hours, that was described as putting those afflicted as so bilious there "was hardly any difference between us and death". The incident was further embellished in a second-hand report published in Amsterdam, portraying men incapacitated by involuntary movements. The poisoning of the crew on the disastrous La Perouse expedition was noted by Governor Phillip as resulting in the same violent vomiting. Some crew members of the circumnavigation expedition led by Matthew Flinders made a similar error, consuming the toxins of M. riedlei while anchored at the south coast. The misadventure of George Grey's party occurred 13 April 1839, while undertaking a journey to Perth after being shipwrecked on Gantheaume Bay at Kalbarri. The party was lightly supplied with rations and overlooked the harvest of food resources as they scrambled on their 300 km journey. They had been shown and fed a small amount of prepared seed, and later sought and found fresh seed. Not having been properly prepared, the meal temporarily debilitated them. The species known as by-yu and djiriji was an important plant to the Noongar people once processed, the flesh around the seeds a staple food; The ripe and unprepared seed of M. riedlei is known as pauyin, The birds include a western rosella subspecies (moyadong, Platycercus icterotis icterotis) which eat the fleshy part of the seed cone, other birds known to eat the seeds include the emu, common bronzewing pigeon (Phaps chalcoptera), white-tailed black cockatoo, and common species silvereye, grey butcherbird and raven (wodang; Corvus coronoides). Mammal species recorded at the plant are the western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), western brush wallaby (Macropus irma), quokka (Setonix brachyurus), common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and western quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii). The Catholic Church of Western Australia has substituted the fronds for those of palm trees on Palm Sunday. The ancient form of the plant inspired the poet Judith Wright to pen the lines, ==Cultivation==

Macrozamia riedlei has horticultural potential as a large container plant or specimen plant. It grows in well-drained soil and is sensitive to fungal attack. Large specimens can be transplanted. Seed germinates in 12 to 18 months. , on the island of São Miguel in the Azores Most of the genus Macrozamia are cultivated and M. riedlei is one of the better known species. The plant is well suited to rockeries and containers (Wrigley & Fagg, 2003). The trunk may reach two metres in cultivation, the pinnate fronds, dark green and palm-like, also reach or exceed two metres as specimens advance in age. The urban garden plant resembles the size of those seen in the field, one or two metres in height, although they are slow growing in their native habitat; container planting tend to produce smaller sized specimens. They respond well to applications of a general fertiliser, and favour full sun or partial shade. They are a recommended indoor plant, being tolerant of low light and temperature, slow growing and able to remain in a container indefinitely. The distribution of the zamia in the southwest has been correlated to sites of long term human habitation, close to lakes or springs, and freshwater points at granitic outcrops of the kwongan, although the intervention of other consumers, birds and mammals, complicates a postulate that inadvertent or intentional cultivation is the primary factor in seed dispersal. Animals species involved in dispersal of the plant include birds such as the emu and mammalian species Trichosurus vulpecula, a common possum known locally as quumarl. The fruiting cone begins to fully ripen and break apart during the local season bunuru, which occurs between February and March, and is ready to harvest. ==References==