Encephalartos middelburgensis

Description

Encephalartos middelburgensis is a species of cycad that is native to Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa at elevations of 1100–1400 meters. It is a cycad with an arborescent habit, with an erect or decumbent stem, up to 10 m tall and 35-45 cm in diameter, often with secondary stems originating from basal suckers. The leaves, pinnate, arranged in a crown at the apex of the stem, are 1.2-1.5 m long, supported by a 30-40 cm long petiole with a densely tomentose base, and composed of numerous pairs of lanceolate, leathery leaflets, up to 20 cm long, with entire margin or occasionally with a single spine on the inferior margin and sharp apex. It is a dioecious species, with male specimens that have from 1 to 8 cylindrical or strictly ovoid cones, erect, 30–55 cm long and 8–12 cm broad, green in color and covered with a brownish tomentum, and female specimens with 1- 6 cylindrical cones, about 35–45 cm long and 17–20 cm wide, the same color as the male cones. The seeds are coarsely ovoid, 3–3.5 cm long, covered with a yellow to brown sarcotesta. Encephalartos is a genus of cycad native to Africa. Several species of Encephalartos are commonly referred to as bread trees, bread palms or kaffir bread, since a bread-like starchy food can be prepared from the centre of the stem. The genus name is derived from the Greek words en (within), kephalē (head), and artos (bread), referring to the use of the pith to make food. They are, in evolutionary terms, some of the most primitive living gymnosperms. All the species are endangered, some critically, due to their exploitation by collectors and traditional medicine gatherers. The whole genus is listed under CITES Appendix I which prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except for certain non-commercial motives, such as scientific research. Several of the species possess stout trunks. In E. cycadifolius, the main trunks are up to 10 feet (3.0 m) high, and several of them may be united at a base where a former main trunk once grew. The persistent, pinnate leaves are arranged in a terminal spreading crown, or ascending. The rigid leaflets are variously spiny or incised along their margins. The leaflets have a number of parallel veins and no central vein.