Macrozamia fraseri
Meaning of name: Macrozamia is from the Greek word macros, meaning large, and the genus Zamia. Fraseri honours the Western Australian surveyor and pastoralist Charles Fitzgerald Fraser (1883-1951), collector of the type specimen.
Aboriginal name: Jeeriji.
Aboriginal use: The fruits of Macrozamia fraseri were treated to remove poisons before being roasted and eaten.
Distribution: Occurs on deep sand from Eneabba to Perth.
Description: Rigid fronds to 3 metres long. Fruiting cones are up to 50 centimetres long. Plants are either male or female. Seeds are covered in bright red flesh.
References: Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings, a Glossary. FA Sharr. 1996.
The Cycad Pages. http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/cycad/index.html
Bush Tucker Plants of the South-West. B Daw, T Walley, G Keighery. 1997.
Flowering cones are produced on both male and female plants.
Female plants produce seeds coated in red flesh. These are attractive to Emu that eat and spread the seed. However, seeds are poisonous to humans unless properly treated.
