Macrozamia fawcettii

Macrozamia fawcettii is a small cycad from the far north-east of New South Wales, in eastern Australia, where it grows as scattered plants in eucalypt forest on poor sandy soils, from the Richmond River south to Coffs Harbour. A species of the genus Macrozamia, it carries a few dark green, highly glossy leaves on an underground stem; their axis is strongly twisted in a spiral, and their leaflets, unusually broad for the genus, often bear a few teeth near the tip. Described by Charles Moore in 1884, it was for a time treated as a variety of another species, under the name Macrozamia spiralis var. fawcettii.

Key facts about Macrozamia fawcettii

  • Accepted name: Macrozamia fawcettii C.Moore (1884), accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15) and the Australian Plant Census
  • Former names and synonyms: Macrozamia spiralis var. fawcettii (C.Moore) Maiden & Betche (1916); the original spelling Macrozamia fawcetti
  • Family: Zamiaceae, order Cycadales; section Parazamia
  • Common names: none attested in English or in any other language
  • Natural range: endemic to north-eastern New South Wales, Australia: far north coast and coastal ranges, from the Richmond River to Coffs Harbour
  • IUCN status: Near Threatened (NT B1ab(v)), assessment by J.D. Bösenberg dated 28 August 2020 and published in 2022
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix II (annotation #4); Annex B in the European Union; no threatened-species listing in New South Wales or under the federal EPBC Act
  • Documented hardiness: no cultivation data (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: in the wild, dry or wet eucalypt forest on poor, siliceous sandy soils; in cultivation, a sheltered position in moist but well-drained soil (Australian Native Plants Society)
  • Habit and adult size: underground stem 10 to 20 cm across; 2 to 12 leaves, 50 to 120 cm long (up to 1.3 m on inland plants)
  • In the UK, US and Australia: declared to BGCI by ten gardens in the United States and five in Australia, among them the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney; no British garden
  • Toxicity: seeds highly toxic, as in all cycads (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Macrozamia fawcettii

It is recognised by its long, dark green and very glossy leaves with a strongly spiralled axis, and above all by its long, broad leaflets, 8 to 20 mm wide, which often carry two to seven small teeth towards the tip. The Flora of Australia (Hill, 1998) and the New South Wales flora online (PlantNET) give the following characters.

  • Stem: mostly underground, 10 to 20 cm across.
  • Leaves: 2 to 10 in the crown (up to 12 according to PlantNET), 50 to 120 cm long, moderately keeled, dark green and highly glossy; petiole 15 to 30 cm long; axis strongly twisted in a spiral.
  • Leaflets: 50 to 120 per leaf, simple, 18 to 30 cm long and 8 to 20 mm wide (9 to 17 mm according to PlantNET), much paler beneath, with 10 to 13 prominent veins on the underside; margins flat; tip entire or toothed, never spiny; the lowest leaflets are not reduced to spines.
  • Male cones: spindle-shaped, 10 to 25 cm long and 4 to 6 cm across; the scales end in a spine up to 1.8 cm long.
  • Female cones: ovoid, 12 to 23 cm long and 7 to 11 cm across (12 to 18 cm by 7 to 9 cm according to PlantNET).
  • Seeds: ovoid, 2.5 to 3 cm long and 2 to 2.5 cm wide, with red to scarlet flesh.

The original description by Moore (1884), based only on fresh leaves and old male cones, already stressed the glossy leaves, paler beneath, and the leaflets “about three-quarters of an inch in breadth” (about 19 mm), widening towards an abrupt, curved point that is “slightly but sharply toothed”. Craig Thompson and Paul Kennedy, writing for the Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia (PACSOA), add a field character: a pinkish-red callus where each leaflet joins the axis. They also note that the axis turns through two to five complete revolutions, or more, which makes the leaflets seem to radiate in all directions, and that the seed has a finely ribbed shell. The chromosome number is 2n = 18 (Marchant, 1968, cited by the Flora of Australia).

Hybrids

No hybrid has been reported.

Possible confusion

Its closest relatives are the other small New South Wales species whose leaf axis twists several times. L.A.S. Johnson (1959) placed it next to Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi, with which he also grouped the plants now called Macrozamia plurinervia and Macrozamia flexuosa; the PACSOA adds Macrozamia concinna, described in 1998. All these have narrow leaflets, whereas those of Macrozamia fawcettii are broad, flat and glossy, and usually toothed near the tip: the leaflets alone are enough to tell it apart.

Its range overlaps that of Macrozamia lucida, but Johnson had seen no place where the two met. Broad, toothed leaflets on a spiralled axis, together with a known origin in north-eastern New South Wales, remain the best guide to identity.

Taxonomy

Macrozamia fawcettii C.Moore was published in 1884 in the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales (vol. 17, p. 120), in Charles Moore’s “Notes on the genus Macrozamia”, under the spelling “Macrozamia Fawcetti”. The Australian Plant Census treats that spelling as an orthographic variant. The type is the collection made by Fawcett “on high ground on the upper part of the Richmond”: fresh leaves and old male cones, the only material Moore had seen; Johnson (1959) recognised it as the holotype, kept at the National Herbarium of New South Wales in Sydney (NSW 40653, according to The World List of Cycads). The species belongs to section Parazamia, which brings together species with an underground stem and no lower leaflets reduced to spines; The World List of Cycads accepts it and does not use sections.

The name has a tangled history. When Ferdinand von Mueller described Encephalartos miquelii in 1862, one of his three collections, sent by Charles Moore from the mouth of the Richmond River, actually belonged to Macrozamia fawcettii, and his description mixed the two species. Johnson removed the ambiguity in 1959 by choosing a collection from Rockhampton as the type of Macrozamia miquelii. Joseph Maiden and Ernst Betche reduced the species in 1916 to a variety of Macrozamia spiralis; Johnson restored it as a species. The Australian Plant Census lists the variety as a synonym, while The World List of Cycads does not cite it.

Etymology and history

The epithet honours the collector of the type, a police magistrate of New South Wales; the original description calls him “C. Fawcett, Esq., P.M.”. The sources differ on his first name: Charles Fawcett (1812–1890) for the Flora of Australia, Hugh Charles Fawcett (1812–1890) for The World List of Cycads, following Haynes (2022). The genus name Macrozamia combines the Greek makros, “large”, with the genus name Zamia.

The species has long been grown, if rarely. The Virtual Cycad Encyclopedia of the Palm & Cycad Societies of Florida showed it in 1999 in a private garden in Los Angeles, and several American botanic gardens now declare it (see In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia).

Common names

No common name is attested, in English or in any other language. The Australian Native Plants Society notes that it has “no generally accepted common name”, the Virtual Cycad Encyclopedia gives “Unknown”, and the Flora of Australia gives none. Gardeners and nurseries use the scientific name.

In the wild

Macrozamia fawcettii lives near the far north coast of New South Wales and in the neighbouring coastal ranges, from the Richmond River to Coffs Harbour (Johnson, 1959; Flora of Australia); PlantNET places it in the valleys of the upper Richmond and of the Clarence. According to the PACSOA, its range runs from near Coffs Harbour north to near Casino and west to the surroundings of Tabulam, on the Richmond Range, at about 555 m. It grows scattered, as single plants or small groups, in dry or wet eucalypt forest on poor, sandy, siliceous soils; near Coffs Harbour it is found on undulating hillsides under a eucalypt canopy, in the foothills of the coast range. The representative specimens of the Flora of Australia come from the crest of the Dirty Creek Range, the northern slope of Mount Neville, and near Tabulam and Woodburn.

The climate is humid and mild. The PACSOA gives, for Coffs Harbour on the coast, 1,708 mm of rain a year, two thirds of it in summer and autumn, and frost on six days a year on average, more often on the nearby ranges.

Coning is irregular. The Australian Native Plants Society suggests intervals of three to five years; the PACSOA finds it more frequent than in most inland species of drier habitats, has seen plants cone on a large scale in successive years at one site, and notes that cones are usually single, sometimes two per plant. No pollination study specific to the species has been published.

Conservation status and regulation

Macrozamia fawcettii is listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List under criterion B1ab(v): a restricted range and a decline in the number of mature plants. The assessment, by J.D. Bösenberg, is dated 28 August 2020 and was published in 2022 (The World List of Cycads, GBIF and Crossref, checked on 26 October 2026). The Atlas of Living Australia shows no listing for it under the laws of New South Wales or under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC).

Like other Macrozamia, it has been listed in CITES Appendix II since 4 February 1977, with annotation #4: seeds and pollen are exempt, but plants are not. In the European Union it falls under Annex B of Regulation (EC) No 338/97, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, applicable since 29 June 2026 (Species+, checked on 26 October 2026). Check the regulations in force before any purchase or import, and buy only seed-raised plants with their papers.

Growing Macrozamia fawcettii

Macrozamia fawcettii is seldom grown, but the Australian Native Plants Society considers that it would make a very attractive plant for the garden or for a container, and the PACSOA calls it “a very attractive cycad”, thanks to its broad, glossy leaflets; new leaves open bronze or light green before turning dark green. The two societies, both amateur bodies whose advice is indicative, give the main pointers.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

  • Light: a sheltered position, according to the Australian Native Plants Society; in the wild, under a eucalypt canopy.
  • Soil: moist but well drained; in the wild, poor sand. The PACSOA observes that the stems sometimes have no roots at all, as if they had rotted where they met a shallow water table: avoid soils that stay waterlogged.
  • Growth: very slow according to the Australian Native Plants Society, which reckons five years or more before the plant makes a show and ten years or more before the first cones. The PACSOA, on the contrary, finds that it grows reasonably quickly from seed, unlike most other species of section Parazamia in New South Wales. The two sources therefore disagree.
  • Requirements: not demanding, according to the Australian Native Plants Society.

Container cultivation

The Australian Native Plants Society suggests it for containers. A deep pot of free-draining compost suits its underground stem. A plant in a pot loses the protection that the soil gives to the stem in winter (see Cold hardiness).

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

  • Australia: the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney grows it in bed 102i, with three accessions, two of them of wild origin and numbered in 1987 and 1992, according to its Garden Explorer; the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra, the Adelaide Botanic Garden and the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden in Coffs Harbour also declare it to BGCI.
  • United States: ten gardens declare it to BGCI, in California (Descanso Gardens, Ganna Walska Lotusland, the Los Angeles County Arboretum, San Diego Botanic Garden, SeaWorld San Diego, the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley), in Florida (Montgomery Botanical Center, accession 20230282, entered in 2023 judging by its number), in Hawaii (University of Hawaii at Hilo), in Missouri (Missouri Botanical Garden) and in Minnesota (the University of Minnesota conservatory).
  • United Kingdom: no British garden declares it to BGCI (checked on 26 October 2026).

These declarations show that the plant is held, not how it fares. No English-language grower has published a dated cultivation result.

Propagation

Macrozamia fawcettii is propagated by seed. According to the Australian Native Plants Society, the seeds germinate easily, with no pretreatment. The PACSOA warns that the flesh, orange to dark red, often clings strongly to the shell: of all the New South Wales Macrozamia, these are the hardest seeds to clean unless they are first soaked in water for a long time. Wear gloves for this, as the flesh is toxic. As the plants are male or female, both sexes are needed and, in cultivation, hand pollination, to obtain fertile seed. The stem normally does not branch; the PACSOA mentions that some compact groups in the wild might be single plants with several heads, a view held by some enthusiasts.

Pests and diseases

In the wild, the PACSOA notes that old leaves are sometimes disfigured by leaf-rolling insects, and that stems may lose their roots where the water table is close to the surface. For Macrozamia grown in Europe, growers’ forums mainly mention scale insects and rot in cold, wet soil (see the genus page).

Cold hardiness

No cultivation result with a measured temperature is documented for Macrozamia fawcettii, anywhere in the world.

Mediterranean and European experience

No result has been published in Europe, in the ground or in a pot. In 2014, on the French Fous de palmiers forum, a grower from the Ain and Hérault departments reported the opinion of an Australian nurseryman specialising in cycads, who ranked Macrozamia in four groups of decreasing hardiness: Macrozamia fawcettii (spelt “fawcetti”) was in the second, the “relatively hardy” species of the coast of New South Wales. This ranking gives no temperature.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

In its natural range, the PACSOA gives for Coffs Harbour a winter minimum of 2.6 °C (36.7 °F), reached at least once a week in July, and six frosts a year on average, with more frequent frosts expected on the ranges; Tabulam lies at about 555 m. These are climate data for the habitat, not tested limits for the plant. Several gardens in California and Montgomery Botanical Center in Florida hold it, but none of them has published how it is grown or what cold it has met. In Britain and in the colder parts of the United States, a pot kept frost-free in winter is the prudent choice.

Toxicity and precautions

Yes, the plant is toxic. The Australian Native Plants Society points out that, as in all cycads, the seeds of Macrozamia fawcettii contain highly toxic compounds. Macrozamia contain toxic glycosides (cycasin, macrozamin), from which methylazoxymethanol is derived, a poison of the liver; cattle that eat the leaves can develop a locomotor disorder of the hind legs (Healy, 1967), which McKenzie (2006) describes as irreversible, ending in paralysis of the hindquarters, with no treatment. No analysis specific to the species has been published.

Wear gloves to handle the seeds, keep them out of reach of children, dogs and livestock, and in case of ingestion contact a poison centre, a doctor or a vet without delay.

Traditional uses

No traditional use specific to Macrozamia fawcettii is documented. Other Macrozamia provided Aboriginal peoples with seeds that could be eaten after long processing (see the genus page).

Frequently asked questions

How can Macrozamia fawcettii be recognised?

By its broad, toothed leaflets. They are 8 to 20 mm wide, glossy and often carry two to seven teeth near the tip, on leaves whose axis twists in a spiral.

Where does it grow?

In north-eastern New South Wales. It is found from the Richmond River to Coffs Harbour and inland to the Tabulam area, in eucalypt forest on poor sandy soils.

Is it endangered?

It is Near Threatened. The IUCN (assessment of 2020, published in 2022) cites its restricted range and a decline in mature plants; it is not listed as threatened in New South Wales or nationally.

Why was it confused with Macrozamia miquelii?

Because of an old mistake. In 1862 Mueller mixed a collection of this species into his description of Encephalartos miquelii; Johnson settled the matter in 1959.

Is it easy to grow?

Fairly, according to Australian growers. It is not demanding and its seeds germinate easily, but the sources disagree on its speed of growth, and cones may take ten years or more to appear.

Can it be grown in Britain or the United States?

Nobody can say for certain. Several Californian gardens and Montgomery Botanical Center in Florida hold it, but no hardiness limit has been published; in Britain and in cold regions, a pot kept frost-free in winter is the prudent option.

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Moore, C. (1884). Notes on the genus Macrozamia. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 17: 120–121 (article beginning on p. 115). [Protologue; full text (scan from The Cycad Society).]
  • Johnson, L.A.S. (1959). The families of cycads and the Zamiaceae of Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 84(1): 64–117. [Typification, range, affinities, confusion with Macrozamia miquelii, synonymy; full text.]
  • Hill, K.D. (1998). Cycadophyta. In: McCarthy, P.M. (ed.), Flora of Australia 48: 597–661, 717–719. ABRS/CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. [Description and range; online version.]
  • Marchant, C.J. (1968). Chromosome patterns and nuclear phenomena in the cycad families Stangeriaceae and Zamiaceae. Chromosoma 24: 100–134. doi:10.1007/BF00329609 [Chromosome number, as cited by the Flora of Australia.]
  • Bösenberg, J.D. (2022). Macrozamia fawcettii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T42003A48778374. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T42003A48778374.en [Near Threatened, criterion B1ab(v); assessment dated 28 August 2020, from Crossref.]
  • Haynes, J.L. (2022). Etymological compendium of cycad names. Phytotaxa 550(1): 1–31. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.550.1.1 [Full name and dates of Fawcett, as given by The World List of Cycads.]
  • Healy, P.J. (1967). Macrozamia poisoning. Institute of Inspectors of Stock of New South Wales Year Book. [Reprinted by Flock & Herd.]
  • McKenzie, R.A. (2006). Toxicology for Australian Veterinarians: cycads (Cycas, Macrozamia, Lepidozamia, Bowenia), pp. 282–288. Animal Health Australia, Australian Animal Pathology Standards Program (PDF): https://aapspextranet.animalhealthaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/tav7_17_unknowntoxins_pt2.pdf [Australian veterinary reference text; describes the cattle syndrome as irreversible, ending in paralysis of the hindquarters, with no treatment.]
  • Calonje, M., Stevenson, D.W. & Osborne, R. (2026). The World List of Cycads, version 2026.08.15. Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables. doi:10.5281/zenodo.21958524 [Reference list.]