Editing Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi

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[[File:Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_resprouted_after_fire.JPG|frame|Figure 1. ''M._pauli-guilielmi'' resprouted after fire  (Photo: Scott Gavins)]]
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Of the genus ''Macrozamia'' the species ''M. pauli-guilielmi''
deserves more attention than it has so far. Its nearest
neighbour is the newly classified ''M. lomandroides''
which has a very similar growth habit, but none of the real
elegance of the former. Indeed in many ways
''M. lomandroides'' has marked similarities in underground
caudex, general twists to the rachis and toning.
''M. pauli-guilielmi'' does not to my knowledge, however,
grow quite as large in its caudex sizes and has an entirely
different rachis shape generally. Mostly because it occurs in
similar geological terrain as ''M. pauli-guilielmi'',
''M. lomandroides'' was for years passed over as a form of
the other. David Jones recognised the differences and
botanically described ''M. lomandroides'' giving it a more
tangible status, but as a collectors plant
''M. pauli-guilielmi'' has better symmetry and eye appeal
and, I think, rates at least as high as
''[Bowenia serrulata]'' and
many of the exotic diminutive zamias as a potted plant for
cultivation.

In habitat, this small cycad is as maligned as its bigger
cousins, being given the name of "Twisted Ricketts Weed", by
many local farmers (The new leaves contain a poison and
cattle that eat them suffer a kind of paralysis of the hind
legs). These days much of its habitat is, I think,
inaccessible to cattle, although at an earlier date it may
have been prevalent on dairy country. Present stands are
located on Fraser Island in national park territory, while on
the mainland its terrain is between Rainbow Beach to
possibly Hervey Bay. Around Gympie in forestry plantation
reserves the species was always in abundance growing as
under-storey in the ''Pinus elliottii'' forests where it is
allowed to grow because officials did not recognise it, or
care. Regular forest burn off would only have accounted for
the top fronds as the caudex is subterranean.
Since much of its wild habitat is now under threat by real
estate development it is to be hoped that new home owners in
the Tin Can Bay/Rainbow Beach areas will recognise its
potential as a potted plant and if it appears on their land
treat it as such, or leave it to grow naturally.
 
Generally, natural specimens have one to three parsnip-like
roots and, to grow it at its best, a very deep pot is needed
to accommodate both caudex and roots and so in a coning size
plant a depth of, say, 40cm would suffice. Perhaps also a
top diameter of 30cm would fit the largest of them. When
preparing a potting mix it is well to consider the soil in
its natural habitat. Mostly the soil is very sandy over a
fawn yellow underlay with a grey white crust or alternatively
it often occurs amongst mostly sandstone rock.

Grown from
seed or from developed caudex, a recommended mix is coarse
sharp river sand thoroughly washed to remove fine particles,
hammer-milled pine bark that is fine graded then cornposted
with a little urea, and an addition of coarse perlite or
coarse diatomite to about one quarter of the volume.
Seed from the small cycads are tested for viability by the
flotation method, with seeds that sink considered to be
viable. Sometimes, however, the embryonic contents have
merely shrunk back from the outer case and this makes the
seed float. If this is the case, some of these seeds may
absorb enough water when soaked for a few days that they can
still germinate.

If the fruit or coating is first removed when seed is fresh
I have found that soaking the seed in indolebutyric hormone
at the rate of a half teaspoon per litre, of rainwater for 48
hours greatly improves the time of germination. Many
nurserymen also use, with good results, a gibberellic acid
wash instead. Untreated seeds should be kept moist and will
germinate after some months.

Getting back to the aesthetic appearance of
''M. pauli-guilielmi'', a well grown potted specimen will
hold its own on any horticultural bench against other cycads
being shown. Good correct labelling is essential, as many
present-day judges would fail to recognise it as a cycad.
Plants usually have two to five erect leaves with rachises
closely crowded emerging from the apex of the caudex, very
strongly twisted about every 7.5cm (3") and in a large one
metre length frond the 360 degree twists can be ten in number.
The petioles are broad at the base, about 2cm, keeled on one
side and flat on the other. Mature pinnae are extremely thin
and linear, pale to medium green, with the typical cream base
gland of most of the ''Macrozamias''. The whole arrangement is
plumose with the erect whorl of pinnae soft and slightly
recurving at their tips, presenting a very pleasing effect.
While researching an urbanised area near Tin Can Bay with a
couple of very dedicated members of a study group team I
found growing near a road a plant carrying a female cone and
ripe seed. A photograph of this plant is in my 1991 booklet
on Zamiaceae. What was not mentioned, was how very
interesting the surrounding flora was, and in open wallum how
typical of where ''M. pauli-guilielmi'' is found. They
grow in the white crusted sandy loam usually very close to
small indigenous flora such as ''Callistemon'' or even the very
small ''Xanthorrhoea'' that is prevalent there (could be
''X. macronema?)''. The habitat is a veritable paradise of
springtime wildflower material.
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[[File:Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_female.jpg|frame|Figure 2. ''M._pauli-guilielmi'' female cone  (Photo: Scott Gavins)]]
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[[File:Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_male.JPG|frame|Figure 3. ''M._pauli-guilielmi'' male cone  (Photo: Scott Gavins)]]
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[[File:Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi5.jpg|frame|Figure 4. ''M._pauli-guilielmi'' leaf detail  (Photo: Scott Gavins)]]
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===Gallery:===
<gallery widths="150px">
200px-Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi3.jpg | Female cone
200px-Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi4.jpg | Female cone
Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_female2.jpg | Female cone
Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_female4.jpg | Female cone
Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_female6.jpg | Female cone
Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_male4.JPG | Male cone
Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_male5.jpg | Male cone
Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_male92.JPG | Male cone
Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi6.jpg | Seedling
200px-Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi_seeds.jpg | ''M. pauli-guilielmi'' seeds
</gallery>
===Contributed by: ===
Len Butt (text from '''Palms & Cycads''' No 40, Oct - Dec 1993)<br/>
Scott Gavins (Figure 1,2,3 & 4, and Gallery images)


===External Links:===
[https://www.cycadlist.org/taxon.php?Taxon_ID=411 World List], 
[https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=5712 SPRAT],
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/41956/0 IUCN],
[https://www.arkive.org/cycad/macrozamia-pauli-guilielmi/ ARKIVE],
[https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=Macrozamia+pauli-guilielmi JSTOR],
[https://www.trebrown.com/plant_info.php?species=Macrozamia+pauli-guilielmi Trebrown]
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[https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Macrozamia+pauli-guilielmi%22&amp;num=10&amp;sa=Google+Search Google],
[https://images.google.com/images?q=%22Macrozamia+pauli-guilielmi%22&amp;hl=en&amp;btnG=Google+Search GoogleImages],
[https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Macrozamia+pauli-guilielmi Flickr],
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[[Category:Macrozamia|pauli-guilielmi]]
[[Category:Cycad|Macrozamia_pauli-guilielmi]]