Cycas brunnea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cycas brunnea |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cycas
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| Species: |
brunnea
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Cycas brunnea is a special type of plant called a cycad. It's found only in northern Australia, in parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory. This plant likes to grow in open areas like savannas and creek valleys. It prefers soils made from sandstone and limestone and needs a good amount of rain during certain seasons.
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Meet the Brown Cycad
The Cycas brunnea is often called the brown cycad. It gets its name from the Greek word brunneus, which means brown. This is because its new leaves are covered in a soft, brown fuzz.
What it Looks Like
Trunk and Leaves
The trunk of this cycad can grow quite tall, from 2 to 5 meters. It has many leaves at the top, forming a crown. These leaves are very long, usually between 1.2 and 1.7 meters.
Each leaf is made up of many smaller parts called leaflets. A single leaf can have 160 to 240 leaflets! These leaflets are about 17 to 27 centimeters long and 6 to 7.5 millimeters wide. As the plant gets older, its leaves become smooth. The stems that hold the leaves, called petioles, are covered in brown fuzz and have sharp spines.
Cones and Seeds
Like other cycads, Cycas brunnea produces cones instead of flowers.
- Female cones: The female cones are open and have special parts called sporophylls, which are about 28 to 32 centimeters long. These parts are covered in orange fuzz and have jagged edges. The seeds inside have an orange, waxy outer layer and a flattened, oval inner shell.
- Male cones: The male cones are long and oval-shaped, about 21 centimeters long and 13 centimeters wide. They are also covered in brown fuzz and have a spine that points upwards at the very top.
Where it Lives
This cycad is native to a small area in northern Australia. You can find it where northwest Queensland meets northeast Northern Territory. It grows in places that get a lot of sun, like savannas and creek valleys. It likes soils that come from sandstone and limestone rocks.
Protecting the Brown Cycad
The Cycas brunnea was first officially described in 1992. It looks quite similar to another cycad called Cycas angulata.
This plant is considered "near-threatened." This means it's not in immediate danger, but it could become threatened if its habitat shrinks. The main reason it's near-threatened is because it only grows in a small, specific area. However, some of these plants are protected in places like Boodjamulla National Park, which helps keep them safe.
