Cycas cairnsiana: Difference between revisions

Cycas cairnsiana
Conservation status
	Near Threatened
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Cycadophyta
Class:	Cycadopsida
Order:	Cycadales
Family:	Cycadaceae
Genus:	Cycas
Species:	C. cairnsiana
Binomial name
	Cycas cairnsiana; F.Muell.

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Revision as of 12:49, 27 September 2006

Cycas cairnsiana is a species of cycad in the genus Cycas, native to northern Australia in northern Queensland on the Newcastle Range.

The stems grow to 2-5 m tall and 12-16 cm diameter, with swollen base. The leaves are dark orange-brown tomentose on emerging, then glaucous blue-green and glabrous with age, 60-110 cm long, bowed, keeled, pinnate, with 180-220 leaflets, the leaflets 8-18 cm long and 2-4 mm wide. The petioles are 18-27 cm long, and armed with sharp spines.

The female cones are open, with sporophylls 16-21 cm long, with two to four ovules per sporophyll. The lamina is narrowly triangular, with toothed margins and an apical spine. The sarcotesta is yellow-brown with a waxy coating, the sclerotesta ovoid and flattened. The male cones are solitary, ovoid, 16-20 cm long and 7-10 cm diameter, brown, and with an upturned apical spine.

It is named after William Cairns, governor of Queensland from 1875–1877.

Habitat

It grows in dry, rocky, and open woodland terrain on soils derived from granite. Its range is limited to the Newcastle Range of northeast Queensland, with seasonal rainfall of about 1350 mm. This cycad is a close relative of both Cycas couttsiana and Cycas platyphylla. The plants are remarkable for their intense blue colour, and their resiliance to the seasonal extremes of their native range. Its conservation status is near-threatened.

References

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 | color = lightgreen
 | name = ''Cycas cairnsiana''
-| status = LC
+| status = NT
 | trend = stable
 | regnum = [[Plant]]ae
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 | species = '''''C. cairnsiana'''''
 | binomial = ''Cycas cairnsiana''
+| binomial_authority = [[Ferdinand von Mueller|F.Muell.]]
 }}
-==Description==
+'''''Cycas cairnsiana''''' is a species of [[cycad]] in the genus ''[[Cycas]]'', native to northern [[Australia]] in northern [[Queensland]] on the [[Newcastle Range]].
-'''''Cycas cairnsiana''''' is named after the late governor of [[Queensland]] [[Australia]], [[William Wellington Cairns]]. It also goes by the name Mount Surprise Blue. It has [[arborescent]] stems sometimes branched at 2.5 meters tall, rarely to 5 m, with swollen base. [[Cataphyll]]s covered with orange-brown [[tomentose]], with leaves numerous, bowed, keeled and [[glaucous]], growing about 1 meter long. Emergent leaves dark orange-brown tomentose. [[Petiole]] is [[glabrous]] 18-27 cm long armed with spines, with leaflets in 90-140 pairs.
+The stems grow to 2-5 m tall and 12-16 cm diameter, with swollen base. The [[leaf|leaves]] are dark orange-brown tomentose on emerging, then glaucous blue-green and glabrous with age, 60-110 cm long, bowed, keeled, pinnate, with 180-220 leaflets, the leaflets 8-18 cm long and 2-4 mm wide. The [[petiole]]s are 18-27 cm long, and armed with sharp spines.
-Female cones open, with sporophylls 16-21 cm, with orange-brown to tan tomentum. 2-4 ovules per sporophyll. Lamina narrowly triangular, margins toothed, with apical spine present. [[Sarcotesta]] yellow-brown and glaucous. [[Sclerotesta]] ovoid and light tan in color. Male cones solitary, erect and long ovoid, 24 cm long, 7-10 cm in diameter. Sporophylls 20-30 mm.
+The female [[strobilus|cones]] are open, with [[sporophyll]]s 16-21 cm long, with two to four ovules per sporophyll. The lamina is narrowly triangular, with toothed margins and an apical spine. The [[sarcotesta]] is yellow-brown with a waxy coating, the [[sclerotesta]] ovoid and flattened. The male cones are solitary, ovoid, 16-20 cm long and 7-10 cm diameter, brown, and with an upturned apical spine.
-==Habitat==
-Native to [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]. This cycad grows in dry, rocky, and open woodland terrain. It thrives in granite derived soils. Its range is limited to the Newcastle Range of northeast Queensland, where seasonal rain is present at 1350 mm rain annually. This cycad is a close relative of both [[Cycas couttsiana]] and [[cycas platyphylla]]. The plants are remarkable for their intense blue coloration, and their resiliance to the seasonal extremes of their native range, where nothing but itself is seen thriving year-round. Its conservation status is secure.
+It is named after [[William Cairns]], governor of Queensland from 1875–1877.
+===Habitat===
-lives in exposed sites in savanna and creek valleys in [[sandstone]] and [[limestone]] derived soils. Moderate rainfall in native range largely seasonal. It gained its status of species in 1992 after being previously assigned as a subspecies of [[Cycas angulata]]. The plant is not seen as threatened, and has range inside of [[Lawn Creek National Park]].
+It grows in dry, rocky, and open woodland terrain on soils derived from granite. Its range is limited to the Newcastle Range of northeast Queensland, with seasonal rainfall of about 1350 mm. This cycad is a close relative of both ''[[Cycas couttsiana]]'' and ''[[Cycas platyphylla]]''. The plants are remarkable for their intense blue colour, and their resiliance to the seasonal extremes of their native range. Its conservation status is near-threatened.
+==References==
+*[http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/cycadpg?taxname=Cycas+cairnsiana Cycad Pages: ''Cycas cairnsiana'']
+*[http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/41972/all IUCN Redlist: ''Cycas cairnsiana'']
 [[Category:Cycads]]