Lepidozamia peroffskyana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lepidozamia peroffskyana |
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| Lepidozamia peroffskyana growing at Kerikeri, New Zealand. | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Lepidozamia
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| Species: |
peroffskyana
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| Synonyms | |
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Macrozamia denisonii, Regel |
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The Lepidozamia peroffskyana is a special type of plant called a cycad. It looks a bit like a palm but is actually part of the Zamiaceae family. This plant is only found in eastern Australia, which means it's endemic there. It was named after Count Peroffsky, who helped the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden a long time ago.
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What Does Lepidozamia Peroffskyana Look Like?
This amazing cycad can grow very tall, sometimes up to seven metres (about 23 feet)! But usually, it's around four metres (about 13 feet) tall. Its main stem, called a trunk, can be as wide as eighty centimetres (about 31 inches). The trunk is covered with old leaf bases that stay on the plant.
At the top of the trunk, there's a big crown of many leaves. Each leaf can be up to three metres (about 10 feet) long! They have about two hundred thin, shiny, dark green leaflets. These leaflets are a bit loose and spread out, feeling soft and leathery. A cool way to tell this plant apart is by looking at its leaves: each leaflet has seven to thirteen parallel veins.
Giant Cones and Seeds
The cones of the Lepidozamia peroffskyana are some of the biggest among all cycads. Only the Encephalartos transvenosus has cones that are similar in size. Male cones can grow up to seventy-five centimetres (about 30 inches) long. Female cones are even bigger, reaching ninety centimetres (about 35 inches) long and weighing up to forty-five kilograms (about 100 pounds)!
Inside these huge cones are many large seeds. These seeds have a red outer layer called a sarcotesta. It's important to know that all parts of this plant, especially the seeds, are not safe to eat. They can make both animals and people very sick if ingested.
Where Does Lepidozamia Peroffskyana Live?
This cycad is found in the southeastern part of Queensland and the northeastern part of New South Wales in Australia. You can find it in an area stretching from Gympie, which is north of Brisbane, down to the Manning River near Forster.
It usually grows in small groups in wet sclerophyll forests or at the edges of rainforests. These plants often prefer steep slopes, from sea level up to about 1,000 metres (about 3,280 feet) high.
See also
In Spanish: Lepidozamia peroffskyana para niños
