Macrozamia montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Macrozamia montana |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Macrozamia
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| Species: |
montana
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Macrozamia montana is a special type of plant that belongs to the Zamiaceae family. It is a cycad, which is an ancient group of plants that look a bit like palms or ferns. This plant is found only in New South Wales, Australia. When a plant or animal is found only in one specific place, it is called endemic.
What's in a Name?
The name Macrozamia montana was given to this plant by a botanist named Ken Hill in 1998. He chose the name because of where the plant likes to grow. The word montana comes from Latin and means "of the mountains" or "coming from mountains." This fits perfectly because this plant grows on mountain slopes and steep hillsides.
What Does it Look Like?
The Macrozamia montana usually has a woody stem that grows mostly underground. Sometimes, it can grow a short trunk above the ground. When the plant is young, its leaves, called fronds, are bright green. As they grow older, these fronds turn a darker green and bend downwards.
This plant has short leaf stalks, called petioles, which are about 6 to 15 centimeters (about 2 to 6 inches) long. A fully grown Macrozamia montana can have as many as 70 fronds. These glossy leaves can be very long, reaching about 100 to 204 centimeters (about 3 to 6.5 feet) in length!
When the female cones of the Macrozamia montana are developing, they often change position. They might turn sideways or even rest completely on the ground.
Who are its Relatives?
The Macrozamia montana is part of the Macrozamia group of plants. Even though it's in this group, it's quite unique and stands out from most other Macrozamia species.
It is more closely related to the larger M. communis plants found in New South Wales. However, the M. communis plants have much longer leaf stalks, usually 10 to 40 centimeters (about 4 to 16 inches) long. This is a key difference from the shorter stalks of the M. montana.
Where Does it Live?
The Macrozamia montana prefers to grow in wet sclerophyll forests. These are forests with tough-leaved trees, like eucalypts, which form a canopy overhead. The plant likes soils that drain water well, so they don't get too soggy.
You can often find Macrozamia montana in areas where there are many weeds. One common weed it grows near is Lantana camara. This is a small, tough shrub that can grow year after year.
