Range map for species of Lepidozamia (Jones 1993). You can also create a highly detailed map, and access specimen data, using the "search" function at the Australia Virtual Herbarium.
L. peroffskyana produces one of the largest of all cycad cones, rivaled only by Encephalartos transvenosus (Jones 1993). Here we see a cone on a plant in habitat at Tamborine National Park, Queensland [C.J. Earle, 1996.03.11].
Lepidozamia
For L. hopei, wunu [Aboriginal, Cairns area].
For L. peroffskyana, burrawang [Dhurak] (Bonta and Osborne 2005).
There are two extant species:
Described 1857 based on a living plant (L. peroffskyana) in the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden. There are also two extinct species known from the Tertiary of Australia (Jones 1993). A systematic study was done by Johnson (1959).
Large plants with a stout, erect trunk. Notable features include:
Australia: in rainforest or similarly sheltered forest sites. Soils are well-structured loams. L. hopei has a fairly restricted range in N coastal Queensland, while L. peroffskyana occurs roughly between Gympie, Queensland and Taree, New South Wales in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, i.e., sites where fire is uncommon to rare. Elevations range from sea level to 1000 m. Soils are well-structured loams. Diurnal temperatures range from 19-32°C summer to 6-22°C winter. Rainfall, 1500 mm, is predominantly during the summer (Jones 1993).
L. hopei has trunks up to 20 m tall and 50 cm in diameter; this is probably the tallest and perhaps the most massive individual cycad (Jones 1993).
L. peroffskyana has a trunk to 7 m tall and 40 cm diameter, and its cones may weigh 45 kg (Jones 1993).
Both species have aboriginal names and thus were likely used, but I have not found it documented. Use for food seems likely in view of the size and local abundance of these plants. In modern times, both species are popular ornamentals suitable, when young, for indoor container plantings. The leaves are used for decoration (Jones 1993).
I have seen L. hopei in habitat at Mt. Whitfield Conservation Park at Cairns, March 1996. These specimens were no more than a few metres tall. The site appeared adapted to fire at roughly decadal intervals.
I have seen L. peroffskyana growing "wild" (in a rather carefully-maintained context) in the Lepidozamia Grove at Tamborine National Park, south Queensland.
The genus is first known from Eocene sediments in New South Wales. Propagation is solely from seed, which takes 12 to 24 months to germinate (Jones 1993).
L. peroffskyana was named for Count Peroffsky, benefactor of the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden (Jones 1993).
Bonta, Mark and Roy Osborne. 2005. Cycads in the vernacular, a compendium of local names. http://www.cycad.org/documents/Bonta-Osborne-Cycads-Vernacular.pdf, accessed 2017.12.29.
Johnson, L.A.S. 1959. The families of cycads and the Zamiaceae of Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 84:64-117.
Regel, J. A. von. 1857. Bulletin de la Société Imperiale des Naturalistes de Moscou 30(1):182, t. 4. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2026.01.14.
Regel, J. A. von. 1876. Gartenflora 25:5, 6. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2026.01.14.
Back | Home | Contact us
Copyright 2026 The Gymnosperm Database
Edited by Christopher J. Earle
This page accessed on Friday, October 23, 2026
Last Modified 2026-01-14
Back to top