That’s no Fern it’s a Space Station…or maybe a Cycad
Michael Elgey
A short distance from Yeppoon in Central Queensland is the locality of Byfield. As a trained horticulturalist, ecologist and self-declared plant nut, visiting this location has been on my bucket list for years and I now only live a short drive away!
What’s so special about Byfield you ask? Well at Byfield a locally endemic and exquisite plant species can be found, the Byfield Fern…but wait that’s no fern it’s a cycad (ok maybe it even looks similar to the Death Star?).
Don’t let its vernacular name confuse you as it is also known as Bowenia serrulata which it takes its species suffix from the finely serrated margins along its glossy leaflets. The lush bipinnate fronds of this species unassumingly protrude from the soil’s surface and the underground caudex below, transforming from vibrant lime to a prominent dark glossy green colour.
An intrepid naturalist can easily find one at Stoney Creek swimming hole where it is locally abundant within the Dry Sclerophyll Eucalyptus Forest. But it can also be seen at Rockhampton Botanic Gardens where B. serrulate has been on display for over 100 years.
Michael Elgey is a passionate Horticulturalist, plant conservationist and botanical Curator at Rockhampton Botanic Gardens. He is a recent arrival in Central Queensland since moving from NSW Central Coast.