Editing Cycas desolata

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[[File:Cycas_491504.jpg|frame|Figure 1. ''Cycas desolata'' in habitat.]]
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In late 1993 a population of ''Cycas'', from an
area north-west of Charters Towers, was reported by
R. Fensham (Queensland Herbarium) and its fronds keyed
to ''[[Cycas cairnsiana]]'' according to Hill's (1992) key. As no
''C. cairnsiana'' was known for this locality it became
the subject of some interest. An investigation in early 1994
showed it to have several distinct differences from
''C. cairnsiana'' and also ''[[Cycas platyphylla]]'', a
closely allied species, resulting in a unique taxonomic
status for the ''Cycas'' was named
''Cycas desolata'' P.I. Forst.
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Forster (1995) reports ''C. desolata''
"... unique in Australian species of ''Cycas'' with
respect to the blue foliage, fronds without basal spines on
the petiole, leaflet margins re-curved, leaflet base gradually
narrowing proximally, leaflets straight and relatively long
(180-210 x 3.8- 5 mm) and the small broadly triangular
megasporophyll lamina." He further adds, "''C. desolata'' is a
striking cycad because of the blue coloration of the foliage
and the large size of some individuals." One plant at the
type locality is cited as "...exceeding 7 m in height...".
''C. desolata'' is known from at least two plant
populations that occur over an area of about 40 km in
eucalypt woodland on shallow skeletal soils or low rocky
outcrops and is a relatively common plant in its habitat. The
specific epithet given in the naming of the species desolata
refers "...to the ruinous or desolate nature of the habitat
where this plant occurs. "

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[[File:Cycas_491503.jpg|frame|Figure 2. ''Cycas desolata'' megasporphylls.]]
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[[File:Cycas_491502.jpg|frame|Figure 3. ''Cycas desolata'' male cone.]]
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[[File:Cycas_491501.jpg|frame|Figure 4. ''Cycas desolata''.]]
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===Acknowledgments: ===
Extracts reproduced with permission of the Editor from:<br/>
Forster, P.I. (1995). ''Cycas desolata'' (Cycadaceae), a
new species from north Queensland. ''Austrobaileya'' 4(3):345-352.

===References: ===
Hill, K.D. (1992). A preliminary account of ''Cycas (Cycadaceae)'' in Queensland. ''Telopea'' 5:177-206


===Contributed by: ===
Paul I. Forster (text and photographs) (reproduced from '''Palms & Cycads''', No. 49 Oct-Dec 1995)


===External Links:===
[https://www.cycadlist.org/taxon.php?Taxon_ID=117 World List], 
[https://www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/41959/0 IUCN],
[https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=Cycas+desolata JSTOR],
[https://www.trebrown.com/plant_info.php?species=Cycas+desolata Trebrown]
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[https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Cycas+desolata%22&amp;num=10&amp;sa=Google+Search Google],
[https://images.google.com/images?q=%22Cycas+desolata%22&amp;hl=en&amp;btnG=Google+Search GoogleImages],
[https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Cycas+desolata Flickr],
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[[Category:Cycas|desolata]]
[[Category:Cycad|Cycas_desolata]]