Macrozamia is a genus of approximately forty cycad species in the family Zamiaceae, order Cycadales, and the only cycad genus endemic entirely to Australia. The genus was first formally described in 1842 by Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel in his Monographia Cycadearum.
Members of Macrozamia are dioecious, palm-like plants with a stout unbranched stem that may form a massive aerial trunk over 50 cm in diameter, or remain largely subterranean with only the crown visible above ground. The stem is covered by the persistent bases of old leaves. Young growth is pubescent but becomes glabrous with age. Each plant bears a crown of arching, pinnate fronds with a palm-like appearance. Both male and female plants produce large cones; the female cones become especially large as they ripen and contain the reproductive structures.
The greatest diversity of species occurs in eastern Australia — particularly in southeast Queensland and New South Wales — with one species, M. macdonnellii, occurring in the Macdonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory, and three species found in the southwest of Western Australia.
Many parts of Macrozamia are toxic if not correctly processed. Despite this, Aboriginal Australians have long utilised the plants for food and material purposes. The common name "burrawang" comes from the Daruk Aboriginal language of the Sydney Basin, originally referring to M. communis, but is widely applied to all species in the genus.
Etymology
The common name "burrawang" derives from the Daruk Australian Aboriginal language of the Sydney region, where it originally referred to Macrozamia communis. It has since been extended informally to all species in the genus. Other regional names recorded in state literature include zamia palm, rickets (Queensland and Western Australia, alluding to symptoms caused by ingestion by livestock), and djeeri (Western Australia).
Distribution
Macrozamia is endemic to Australia, with the highest species diversity concentrated in southeast Queensland and New South Wales. One species, M. macdonnellii, extends into the arid interior at the Macdonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory, and three species occur in the southwest of Western Australia. The genus inhabits subtropical and warm-temperate environments across these regions.
Cultural Uses
Aboriginal Australians have used Macrozamia for food and material purposes for thousands of years. Seeds and other plant parts contain toxins, and traditional processing — typically involving prolonged washing, fermentation, or roasting — is required to render them safe to eat. The name "burrawang" (from the Daruk language) reflects the cultural significance of M. communis to the Aboriginal peoples of the Sydney Basin.
