Macrozamia fraseri

Common name: Zamia

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 in western parts of the south west of Western Australia.

Description:

Rigid fronds to 3 metres long. Fruiting cones are up to 50 centimetres long. The seeds are covered in bright red flesh.

Notes:

Macrozamia have separate male and female plants.

References:

Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings, a Glossary. FA Sharr. 1996.

Bush Tucker Plants of the South-West. B Daw, T Walley, G Keighery. 1997.

Atlas of Living Australia https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/taxon/apni/51448877

Florabase https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/18119