''Macrozamia communis'' is an Australian

cycad Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody (ligneous) trunk with a crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants of a species are either male o ...

found on the east coast of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. The common name for the species is burrawang, a word derived from the Daruk Australian Aboriginal language; this name is also often applied to other species of ''

Macrozamia ''Macrozamia'' is a genus of around forty species of cycads, family Zamiaceae, all of which are endemic to Australia. Many parts of the plant have been utilised for food and material, most of which is toxic if not processed correctly. Descript ...

''. The burrawang has the most extensive distribution of any cycad in New South Wales and is found along the coast from the district around

Armidale, New South Wales Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale had a population of 24,504 as of June 2018. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region. It ...

to Bega 700 km south and on the coastal slopes of the Great Dividing Range with some instances on the inland slopes of the range; as far west as the Mudgee district. It is most abundant on the south coast of the state. The plants grow in open forests. Seed cones are formed after fire. Male and female seed cones are on separate plants and the large female seeds are ripe when red or yellow. Individual specimens take 10–20 years to mature and may live for up to 120 years. Seedlings of ''Macrozamia communis'' have a tuber and coralloid roots that rise up above the ground containing cyanobacteria. These exist in a symbiotic relationship with the cycad by

nitrogen fixation Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but also in industry. Atmo ...

. The seeds of the burrawang are a good source of starch but are poisonous to eat unless treated. The

Cadigal The Cadigal, also spelled as Gadigal and Caddiegal, are a group of Indigenous people whose traditional lands are located in Gadi, on Eora country, the location of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Gadigal originally inhabited the area t ...

people pounded and soaked the seeds in water for a week, changing the water daily. The pulp was then made into cakes and roasted over hot embers. The conservation status of the species is "not considered to be at risk".

References

communis Endemic flora of Australia Flora of New South Wales Cycadophyta of Australia Least concern flora of Australia Plants described in 1959 Taxa named by Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson {{Australia-plant-stub