Encephalartos natalensis
| Encephalartos natalensis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Cycadophyta |
| Class: | Cycadopsida |
| Order: | Cycadales |
| Family: | Zamiaceae |
| Genus: | Encephalartos |
| Species: | E. natalensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Encephalartos natalensis R.A.Dyer & I.Verd. 1951
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Encephalartos natalensis, the Natal cycad or giant cycad, is a species of cycad that is endemic to the Qumbu and Tabankulu areas of the northern part of the Eastern Cape, through most of KwaZulu-Natal up to the upper catchment areas of the Mkuze and Umfolozi rivers near Vryheid in South Africa.[1]
Description
The Natal cycad grows to a height of 6 m (20 ft) or more. It may have a single trunk or may be branched from the base. The trunk is topped by a rosette of large, leathery, pinnate leaves somewhat twisted near the tip, which may be 3 m (10 ft) long. The leaflets are dark green and about 6 cm (2.4 in) wide; they may be untoothed, or they may have one or more small prickles on either edge. The longest leaflets are in the centre of the leaf, and the leaflets nearest the leaf base may be replaced by spines, a fact that distinguishes this cycad from the otherwise similar Encephalartos altensteinii. The Natal cycad is dioecious, that is, it has separate male and female plants. Each of these bears two or three, slightly woolly, yellowish-green cylindrical cones, the scales on the female cones being covered with small knobs. The seeds are bright red and about 5 cm (2.0 in) long.[2]
Gallery
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Cones -
leaves
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References
- ^ "Encephalartos natalensis". Tropicos. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
- ^ Earle, Christopher J. (28 February 2019). "Encephalartos natalensis". The Gymnosperm Database. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
External links
Media related to Encephalartos natalensis at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Encephalartos natalensis at Wikispecies
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