Bowenia spectabilis
Hook. ex Hook.f.
Zamiaceae
Common Name: Zamia Fern
A plant growing in the Botanischer Garten München-Nymphenburg, Munich, Germany
Photograph by: Daderot
Public domain
General Information
Zamia fern is an evergreen cycad producing 1 - 7 leaves, each 100 - 200cm long, from the crown of a thick, underground, tuber-like stem[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
694- Title
- Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nicholson N. & H.
- Publisher
- Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9-78095894-3628
- Description
- Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
,
990- Title
- The Cycad Pages
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/cycad/wlist.html
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
- Year
- 2012
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A website dedicated to the various species of Cycad, with a comprehensive description of all the known species (as of 2012). At present (2015), the site is still running but is no longer being updated
].
The root was used by the Aborigines of Australia as a food, and the plant is occasionally grown as an ornamental.
Known Hazards
The seeds are poisonous[
694- Title
- Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nicholson N. & H.
- Publisher
- Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9-78095894-3628
- Description
- Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
The plant is toxic to livestock[
694- Title
- Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nicholson N. & H.
- Publisher
- Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9-78095894-3628
- Description
- Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
,
990- Title
- The Cycad Pages
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/cycad/wlist.html
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
- Year
- 2012
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A website dedicated to the various species of Cycad, with a comprehensive description of all the known species (as of 2012). At present (2015), the site is still running but is no longer being updated
Range
Australia - northern Queensland.
Habitat
Scattered in open situations in and around rainforest in north-eastern Queensland[
]. A common understorey plant of the wetter rainforests and their margins at low to moderate elevations[
694- Title
- Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nicholson N. & H.
- Publisher
- Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9-78095894-3628
- Description
- Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 2.00 m |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Requires a position in some shade, preferably dappled[
694- Title
- Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nicholson N. & H.
- Publisher
- Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9-78095894-3628
- Description
- Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
]. Requires a moist but well-drained soil[
694- Title
- Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nicholson N. & H.
- Publisher
- Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9-78095894-3628
- Description
- Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
A slow-growing plant[
694- Title
- Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nicholson N. & H.
- Publisher
- Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9-78095894-3628
- Description
- Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Edible Uses
The large, yam-like rhizomes are eaten by the Aborigines[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - it can take 12 months or more to germinate[
694- Title
- Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nicholson N. & H.
- Publisher
- Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
- Year
- 2007
- ISBN
- 9-78095894-3628
- Description
- Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
