Gymnosperms (Seed Producing Plants: Conifers, Cycads, Ginkgo) • Earth.com

Encephalartos trispinosus

(Encephalartos trispinosus)

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Description

Encephalartos trispinosus is a species of cycad that is native to South Africa. It is a cycad with an erect stem up to 1 m tall and with a diameter of 25-30 cm, often with secondary stems originating from basal suckers. The leaves, pinnate, arranged in a crown at the apex of the stem, from gray-greenish to blue, are up to 1.4 m long, composed of numerous pairs of obovate, coriaceous, tomentose leaves, up to 18 cm long, with 1-3 spines on the lower margin and a pungent apex. It is a dioecious species, with male specimens that have 1 or rarely 2 erect, sub-cylindrical cones, 25–35 cm long and about 8 cm broad, yellow to green in color, and female specimens with solitary cylindrical-ovoid cones, long about 40–50 cm and wide 16–18 cm, with a conical apex, yellow to greenish-yellow in color. The seeds are roughly ovoid, about 3.5 cm long, covered with a brown to red 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. Male cones are elongated, and three or four may appear at a time. Female cones are borne singly, or up to three at a time, and may weigh up to 60 pounds (27 kg). In some species, male cones with ripe pollen emit a nauseating odour. When the pollen has been shed and the males cones decay, a strong odour of acetic acid has also been noted.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Cycadopsida
Order:Cycadales
Family:Zamiaceae
Genus:Encephalartos
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