Open forests of eastern New South Wales. The genus Macrozamia is endemic to Australia and there are about 14 species. They do not produce flowers and reproduce by means of cones borne on separate male and female plants. The cones have an appearance and size similar to a pineapple.
All species have dark green, palm-like fronds arising from a central trunk.
When ripe, the cone on the female plant breaks apart to release the seeds which are about 50mm long by 20mm wide. The seeds contain toxic compounds which have caused fatalities to both humans and livestock. The aborigines developed a method of vigorous leaching to remove the toxins and most species of Macrozamia were an important part of their diet. The Burrawang has been in cultivation for many years and forms a very attractive plant for a garden or container. However, the plant is very slow growing and may take 5 years or more to be noticed as a feature plant and many more years to reach anything like a reasonable size.