Cycads of South Africa

[Sharifa]

E. lehmannii

Etymology:

Honoring German botanist J.G.C. Lehmann.



Description:

Plants arborescent; stem 2 m tall, 25-45 cm diam.

Leaves 100-150 cm long, blue or silver, dull, strongly keeled (opposing leaflets inserted at 50-90° on rachis); rachis blue, straight with last third sharply recurved, strongly spirally twisted in most leaves; petiole straight, with no prickles; leaf-base collar prominent; basal leaflets not reducing to spines.

Leaflets lanceolate, weakly discolorous, not overlapping, not lobed, insertion angle obtuse (45-80°) or acute (less than 45°); margins flat; upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin entire (no teeth); median leaflets 12-18 cm long, 15-20 mm wide.

Pollen cones 1, narrowly ovoid or fusiform, green or brown, 25-35 cm long, 8-10 cm diam.

Seed cones 1, ovoid, green or brown, 45-50 cm long, 25 cm diam.

Seeds ovoid or oblong, 30-45 mm long, 25-30 mm wide, sarcotesta red.

Distinguishing features:

The entire, well-spaced leaflets distinguish this species from other blue leaved species of the eastern Cape Province, as do the green cones with persistent dark brownish tomentum and a more or less smooth terminal sporophyll facets. The blue-leaved species of the Cape Province have discolorous leaves with stomata on the undersurfaces only, in contrast to the blue-leaved species of Transvaal, which all have stomata on both surfaces of the leaflets.

Distribution and habitat:

Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, in arid low succulent shrubland on rocky ridges and slopes. E. lehmannii occurs mainly on sandstones, in contrast to the very similar E. princeps, occurring on dolerite formations.

Conservation:

1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category R.

Reference: The Cycad Pages

[Sharifa]

E. longifolius

Etymology:

Latin longis, long and folius, leaf



Description:

Plants arborescent; stem 4 m tall, 30-45 cm diam.

Leaves 100-200 cm long, dark green or blue green, semiglossy, moderately keeled (opposing leaflets inserted at 80-120° on rachis); rachis yellowish, straight with last third sharply recurved, not spirally twisted; petiole straight, with no prickles; leaf-base collar prominent; basal leaflets not reducing to spines.

Leaflets lanceolate, strongly discolorous, overlapping upwards, not lobed or with 1-2 lobes on upper and median leaflets, insertion angle obtuse (45-80°); margins flat, or incurved; upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin entire (no teeth), or lightly toothed (1-3 teeth); median leaflets 20 cm long, 20-30 mm wide.

Pollen cones 1-3, ovoid, green, 40-60 cm long, 15-20 cm diam.

Seed cones 1-3, ovoid, green, 40-60 cm long, 30-40 cm diam.

Seeds oblong, 40-50 mm long, 20-30 mm wide, sarcotesta red.

Distinguishing features:

The slightly dull and slightly greyish leaves with entire leaflets arranged in a distinct V and overlapping towards the end of the leaf characterise this species. These leaf characters and the very large green to greenish brown cones distinguish this species from other green species from the eastern Cape Province (E. altensteinii and allies).

Distribution and habitat:

Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, in dense scleromorphic shrubland on steep rocky slopes.

Conservation:

1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category V.

Reference: The Cycad Pages

[Lisbeth]

Some biggies

[Toko]

Be careful, if you have a Zuurberg cycad in your garden and want to make bread from the seeds

Link

, Sharifa

[Sharifa]

Thanks for the link Toko
Makes interesting reading

[Sharifa]

E.middelburgensis

Etymology:

From the district of Middelburg, eastern Transvaal, with the Latin termination -ensis, place of origin.



Description:

Plants arborescent; stem 7 m tall, 40 cm diam.

Leaves 100-180 cm long, blue or silver, dull, strongly keeled; rachis blue, straight, stiff, not spirally twisted; petiole straight, with no prickles; leaf-base collar not present; basal leaflets not reducing to spines.

Leaflets lanceolate, concolorous, not lobed, insertion angle obtuse (45-80°); margins flat; upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin entire (no teeth); median leaflets 18-20 cm long, 14-20 mm wide.

Pollen cones 4-8, narrowly ovoid, green, 30-35 cm long, 8-12 cm diam.

Seed cones 4-8, ovoid, green, 35-45 cm long, 17-20 cm diam.

Seeds oblong, 35-40 mm long, 20-25 mm wide, sarcotesta yellow or orange-brown.




Distinguishing features:

Distinguished within a group of blue-leaved Transvaal species by the long straight leaves with straight tips, the entire leaflets, the lower 4-6 pairs of leaflets reducing in size but remaining entire, a clear petiole 35 40 cm long, and green cones with a fine brown tomentum. This group of Transvaal species is distinguished from the blue-leaved species of the Cape Province (E. lehmannii and allies) by the almost concolorous leaves with stomata on both surfaces.

Distribution and habitat:

District of Middelburg, Eastern Transvaal

Historical notes:

Described in 1990 by South African botanists - Robbertse, Piet Vorster and -- Van der Westhuizen, who recognised that the blue-leaved Transvaal cycads previously all included in E. eugene-maraisii fell into a number of clearly morphologically distinct and geographically separated populations (see also E dolomiticus and E. dyerianus). Similar observations were published more or less simultaneously by Lavranos and Goode (1990), resulting in creation of the redundant names E. graniticolus and E. verrucosus. E. hirsutus is another more recently recognised member of this group.

Conservation:

1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category E.

Reference: The Cycad Pages

[Sharifa]

E. msinganus

Etymology:

From the Msinga district, south-eastern Natal, with the Latin termination -anus, of.







Description:

Plants arborescent; stem 3 m tall, 35 cm diam.

Leaves 110-150 cm long, light or bright green, highly glossy, moderately keeled (opposing leaflets inserted at 90° on rachis); rachis green, straight, stiff or gently curved, somewhat lax, not spirally twisted; petiole straight, with 1-6 prickles, spine-free for 2-10 cm; leaf-base collar not clear; basal leaflets reducing to spines.

Leaflets lanceolate, strongly discolorous, overlapping downwards, not lobed, insertion angle obtuse (45-80°); margins flat; upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin entire (no teeth); median leaflets 14-17 cm long, 16-20 mm wide.

Pollen cones 2-4, narrowly ovoid, yellow, 30-40 cm long, 11-12 cm diam.

Seed cones 1-2, ovoid, yellow, 42 cm long, 22 cm diam. Verrucose.

Seeds oblong, sarcotesta red.

Distinguishing features:

Within the E. lebomboensis - E. natalensis group, this species is separated by the combination of narrow, usually dentate leaflets and verrucose cone-scales. It is vegetatively intermediate between E. senticosus and E. natalensis in leaf form and overall stature.

Distribution and habitat:

South Africa - Natal, in the Tugela Ferry district, in grassland among boulders on steep slopes.

Conservation:

1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category E.

Historical notes:

Described in 1996 by South African botanist Piet Vorster. Formerly in included in a broad "E. lebomboensis" (see E. senticosus), although long known as a distinct regional variant.

Reference: The Cycad Pages

[Sharifa]

E. natalensis

Etymology:

From the province of Natal, with the Latin termination -ensis, place of origin.






Description:

Plants arborescent; stem 6 m tall, 25-40 cm diam.

Leaves 150-300 cm long, light or bright green, highly glossy, slightly keeled to flat in section (opposing leaflets inserted at 150-180° on rachis); rachis green, straight, stiff, not spirally twisted; petiole straight, with 6-12 prickles; leaf-base collar not present; basal leaflets reducing to spines.

Leaflets ovate, strongly discolorous, not overlapping, not lobed, insertion angle obtuse (45-80°); margins flat; upper margin entire (no teeth), or lightly toothed (1-3 teeth); lower margin entire (no teeth), or lightly toothed (1-3 teeth); median leaflets 15-25 cm long, 25-40 mm wide.

Pollen cones 1-5, narrowly ovoid, yellow, 45-50 cm long, 10-12 cm diam.

Seed cones 1-5, ovoid, yellow, 50-60 cm long, 25-30 cm diam.

Seeds oblong, 25-30 mm long, 16-18 mm wide, sarcotesta red.

Distinguishing features:

A robust, tall growing species with deep green glossy leaves, leaflets held in a V and yellow cones, very closely allied to E. altensteinii, E. lebomboensis and E. woodii. E. natalensisis distinguished in this group by the straight rachis, the broad, well-spaced leaflets usually lacking prickles but sometimes with with 1-3 prickles on each margin, the basal leaflets reducing to spines, leaving no bare petiole, and the dense woolly tomentum in the crown around newly emerging leaves.

Distribution and habitat:

A widespread species in southern Natal Province, with outlying occurrences in the north and in the eastern Cape Provinces, on rocky slopes and outcrops, usually inland from the coast.

Historical notes:

Described in 1951 by South African botanists R. Allen Dyer and Inez Verdoon.

Conservation:

1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category R.

Reference: The Cycad Pages

[Sharifa]

E. ngoyanus

Etymology:

From the Ngoya Forest, Zululand, with the Latin termination -anus, of.

Description:

Plants acaulescent; stem 0.3 m tall, 15-20 cm diam.

Leaves 50-125 cm long, dark green, semiglossy, flat (not keeled) in section (opposing leaflets inserted at 180° on rachis); rachis green, straight, stiff, not spirally twisted; petiole straight, with no prickles; leaf-base collar not present; basal leaflets reducing to spines.



Leaflets lanceolate, weakly discolorous, not overlapping, not lobed, insertion angle horizontal; margins flat; upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin lightly toothed (1-3 teeth); median leaflets 7-10 cm long, 8 mm wide.

Pollen cones 1, narrowly ovoid, yellow, 20-25 cm long, 5-7 cm diam.

Seed cones 1, ovoid, yellow, 25 cm long, 12-15 cm diam.

Seeds oblong, 25-30 mm long, 15-20 mm wide, sarcotesta red.


Distinguishing features:

The dwarf, subterranean habit with few stiffly erect leaves in the crown place this species with E. ngoyanus, E. cerinus and E. umbeluziensis. I is distinguished within this group by the short dark green leaves with a spine-free petiole and well spaced leaflets bearing 1-2 teeth on the lower margins, and lack of wool in the crown. Emerging leaflets are glossy and sparsely hairy, whereas those of E. caffer are dull and densely tomentose.

Distribution and habitat:

Swaziland, South Africa, Transvaal and Natal provinces, in open grassland and forest margins, often among boulders,

Conservation:

1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category V.

Historical notes:

Described in 1949 by South African botanist Inez Verdoon.

Reference: The Cycad Pages

[Lisbeth]

Some even taller than the last ones. What a surprising family