MacDonnell Ranges Cycad

About

A cycad endemic to the MacDonnell Ranges of Central Australia, belonging to an ancient gymnosperm lineage that predates flowering plants. Female cones bear seeds the size of an egg with a bright red outer layer.

How to spot it

Look for large, frond-like, bluish-green pinnate leaves radiating from the top of a stocky trunk in rocky gorge country. Separate male and female plants produce distinct cones; the female cone is broad and squat.

Found in

• Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park