Most cycad species are named for botanists, for places, or for morphological characters. Macrozamia fearnsidei is named for Geoff Fearnside — the owner of Wallaroo Station in Queensland — in recognition of his conservation efforts on behalf of the cycads growing on his property. It is a quiet honour, and it says something important about how cycad conservation works in Australia: much of the country’s cycad heritage survives not because of government reserves but because of individual landowners who choose to protect it. Described by David Jones in 1991 in Austrobaileya, M. fearnsidei is a section Parazamia species from Queensland distinguished by a character that is immediately apparent in the field — the longest, most lax pinnae in the section. Where most Parazamia species have pinnae under 30 cm, M. fearnsidei produces pinnae up to 60 cm long, well spaced and lax, giving the fronds a loose, graceful, almost fern-like appearance quite unlike the stiff, compact habit of its close relative Macrozamia conferta. It belongs to the genus Macrozamia, Australia’s largest exclusively endemic cycad genus, and it hybridises naturally with the arborescent giant Macrozamia moorei — one of the most remarkable inter-sectional crosses in the genus.
Quick Facts
| Scientific name | Macrozamia fearnsidei D.L.Jones |
| Family | Zamiaceae |
| Origin | Queensland, Australia |
| Adult size | Subterranean caudex; section Parazamia (compact habit with few leaves) |
| Hardiness | Estimated −3 to −5 °C (27 to 23 °F) / USDA zone 9a–9b |
| IUCN | Least Concern (LC) — removed from EPBC Act threatened list in 2013 |
| CITES | Appendix II (all cycads) |
| Cultivation difficulty | 3/5 |
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
Macrozamia fearnsidei was described by David L. Jones in 1991 in Austrobaileya 3(3): 481–487, as one of two new species of section Parazamia described in that paper. The type specimen is held at CANB (Australian National Herbarium, Canberra).
Etymology: honouring Geoff Fearnside, owner of Wallaroo Station, Queensland, for his conservation efforts on behalf of the cycads growing on his property (Haynes, Phytotaxa 2022). This is one of the few Macrozamia species named for a private landowner rather than a professional botanist — a fitting tribute to the role of pastoral land stewardship in Australian cycad conservation.
Section: Parazamia — small plants, few leaves, basal pinnae not reduced to spines, veins thick and prominent on the lower surface.
Affinities: in Hill’s key (Flora of Australia 48), M. fearnsidei is distinguished from Macrozamia conferta at the couplet that separates pinnae morphology: M. conferta has crowded, stiffly erect pinnae (7–21 cm long, 2–6 mm wide), while M. fearnsidei has well-spaced, lax pinnae (20–60 cm long, 4–9 mm wide). The two species represent opposite extremes of the pinna architecture spectrum within section Parazamia.
Morphological Description
Macrozamia fearnsidei is a small, dioecious, evergreen section Parazamia cycad defined by its extraordinarily long, lax pinnae.
Stem: subterranean — typical of section Parazamia.
Leaves: few in the crown (section Parazamia character). Rachis not to moderately spirally twisted.
Pinnae — the diagnostic character: well spaced, lax, 20–60 cm long, 4–9 mm wide. The 60 cm maximum pinna length is the longest in section Parazamia — and among the longest in the entire genus relative to plant size. The lax, well-spaced arrangement gives the fronds an open, airy quality — “like the branches of a weeping fern” rather than the dense, crowded look typical of section Parazamia. Basal pinnae not reduced to spines.
Cones and seeds: detailed cone dimensions for M. fearnsidei are not widely published in the accessible literature. As a section Parazamia species, cones are expected to be small to medium, with irregular coning cycles.
Comparison with Macrozamia conferta
The diagnostic contrast in Hill’s key is crisp and memorable:
| Character | M. fearnsidei | M. conferta |
|---|---|---|
| Pinnae spacing | Well spaced | Crowded |
| Pinnae posture | Lax (drooping) | Stiffly erect |
| Pinnae length | 20–60 cm | 7–21 cm |
| Pinnae width | 4–9 mm | 2–6 mm |
| Overall habit | Open, airy, fern-like | Dense, compact, bristly |
These two species sit at opposite poles of the Parazamia morphospace: M. conferta is the tightest, most congested species; M. fearnsidei is the most open and relaxed.
The M. fearnsidei × M. moorei Hybrid
The Queensland Government’s species profile documents a natural hybrid: Macrozamia fearnsidei × Macrozamia moorei. This is a remarkable cross — M. fearnsidei is a small, subterranean section Parazamia species, while M. moorei is the largest species in the genus (trunks to 7–9 m, up to 150 leaves, female cones the largest in the genus). The hybridisation of these two extreme morphotypes demonstrates that the reproductive barrier between sections Macrozamia and Parazamia is, once again, not absolute — a finding consistent with Habib et al. (2022) showing that the traditional sectional classification is phylogenetically inconsistent. Where the two species co-occur in Queensland, the genetic boundary dissolves. Hybrid plants presumably show intermediate characters — a partially emergent caudex, intermediate leaf number and size — though detailed descriptions of the hybrid morphology are not widely published.
Distribution and Natural Habitat
Macrozamia fearnsidei is endemic to Queensland, where it grows in dry sclerophyll woodland. The type locality is associated with Wallaroo Station. The species occurs in the interior of southeastern Queensland, in the same broad region as *M. moorei*, *M. lucida*, and the threatened Queensland Parazamia species (*M. cranei*, *M. lomandroides*, *M. platyrhachis*).
The climate is subtropical to warm-temperate, with summer-dominant rainfall. Frosts occur in the interior ranges but are less severe than in the inland NSW habitats of species like M. heteromera or M. concinna.
Conservation
Macrozamia fearnsidei is rated Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. It was formerly listed as a threatened species under the Australian EPBC Act but was removed from the threatened list on 15 May 2013 — indicating that the population was reassessed as more secure than previously thought. The species’ namesake, Geoff Fearnside, played a direct role in its conservation by protecting habitat on private land — a model of pastoral-conservation coexistence that is critical for many Queensland cycad species, which often occur on freehold agricultural land rather than in national parks.
Cultivation
| Hardiness | Estimated −3 to −5 °C (27 to 23 °F) / USDA zone 9a–9b |
| Light | Partial shade to full sun |
| Soil | Well-drained |
| Watering | Moderate; summer-dominant rainfall in the native range |
| Adult size | Compact (section Parazamia) but with very long pinnae |
| Growth rate | Very slow |
| Difficulty | 3/5 |
Cold hardiness: as a Queensland interior species, M. fearnsidei is likely moderately frost-tolerant — comparable to other Queensland Parazamia species rather than to the frost-hardened NSW inland species. Estimated USDA zone 9a–9b as the safe outdoor planting range. Winter protection is advisable in zone 9a. In European Mediterranean climates, container culture with winter shelter is the safest approach until cold tolerance is better documented.
Container culture: the very long, lax pinnae (up to 60 cm) on a compact Parazamia body would make this an attractive container specimen — the drooping, fern-like fronds cascading over the rim of a pot. Unfortunately, the species is virtually unknown in cultivation outside Australia.
Buying Advice
Availability: Macrozamia fearnsidei is virtually absent from the horticultural trade. It is not covered by PACSOA’s detailed species profiles (Thompson & Kennedy did not write a dedicated article), has no substantive Wikipedia entry, and is not offered by the major specialist cycad seed merchants. Acquisition would require direct contact with Australian cycad societies or specialist growers in Queensland.
Propagation
Seed: the only method. Standard Macrozamia protocol: clean sarcotesta (gloves — toxic), sow in well-drained sandy mix at 22–28 °C, delayed fertilisation (12 months). Growth very slow.
Pests and Diseases
Scale insects: occasional. Manageable with horticultural oil.
Root rot: in poorly drained soils.
Toxicity: all parts are toxic. Contains cycasin and macrozamin.
Landscape Use
Macrozamia fearnsidei is a collector’s species for the specialist — not available commercially, poorly documented in the horticultural literature, and known primarily to Australian cycad enthusiasts and taxonomists. Its value lies in:
- The longest pinnae in section Parazamia — up to 60 cm, lax and well-spaced, creating a habit unlike any other small Macrozamia. In a collection of Parazamia species, it would be the one with the most open, fern-like crown.
- The inter-sectional hybrid with M. moorei — documenting that the smallest Parazamia can hybridise with the largest Macrozamia. Growing both parents side by side (where climate permits) tells a powerful story about the fluidity of sectional boundaries.
- The conservation narrative — a species named for a private landowner who protected it, delisted from threatened status because the population proved more secure than feared. A success story in a genus where conservation news is often bleak.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is so little known about this species?
M. fearnsidei is a Queensland interior species with a restricted distribution, no PACSOA detailed profile, no PlantNET entry (which covers NSW only), and no presence in the international horticultural trade. The 1991 description in Austrobaileya and the Flora of Australia key entries remain the primary sources. Further field research is needed.
Can it really hybridise with M. moorei?
Yes — the hybrid M. fearnsidei × M. moorei is documented in the Queensland Government’s species database. This is one of the most extreme inter-sectional crosses in the genus, involving species from opposite ends of the size spectrum.
Why was it delisted from the EPBC Act?
The Threatened Species Scientific Committee reassessed the species in 2008 and it was removed from the list in 2013, indicating that the population was judged to be more secure than the original assessment suggested. This may reflect better survey data or effective conservation measures on private land.
Authority Websites and Databases
The World List of Cycads
https://cycadlist.org/scientific_name/389
First published in Austrobaileya 3(3): 481 (1991). Etymology: honouring Geoff Fearnside, Wallaroo Station, Queensland. IUCN: Least Concern. Type: CANB.
POWO — Plants of the World Online (Kew)
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:979680-1
Accepted species. Native range: Queensland.
Australian Government — SPRAT Database
https://www.environment.gov.au/…
Removed from EPBC Act threatened species list 15 May 2013.
Bibliography
Forster, P. I. (2004). The cycads of Queensland — diversity and conservation. Palms and Cycads, 82, 4–28.
Habib, S., Dang, V.-C., Ickert-Bond, S. M., Zhang, D., Siniscalchi, C. M., & Stevenson, D. W. (2022). Phylotranscriptomics reveal the spatio-temporal distribution and morphological evolution of Macrozamia. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 1005303.
Haynes, J. L. (2022). Etymological compendium of cycad names. Phytotaxa, 550(1), 1–31.
Hill, K. D. (1998). Cycadophyta. Flora of Australia, 48, 597–661.
Jones, D. L. (1991). Notes on Macrozamia Miq. (Zamiaceae) in Queensland with the description of two new species in section Parazamia (Miq.) Miq. Austrobaileya, 3(3), 481–487.
Jones, D. L. (2002). Cycads of the World (2nd ed.). New Holland Publishers, Sydney.