Encephalartos inopinus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Gymnospermae |
Division: | Cycadophyta |
Class: | Cycadopsida |
Order: | Cycadales |
Family: | Zamiaceae |
Genus: | Encephalartos |
Species: | E. inopinus |
Binomial name | |
Encephalartos inopinus R.A. Dyer | |
Encephalartos inopinus is a species of cycad (Family Zamiaceae) that is native to Limpopo Province, South Africa. [3]
This palm-like cycad grows up to 3 meters tall with stems that are 15–25 cm in diameter. Its leaves are 100–150 cm long, either blue or semi-glossy silver. The leaflets are 14–20 cm long, lanceolate, and have a toothed margin. They grow in pairs at a 180° angle along the rachis. The plant is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female specimens. Male specimens have 1-3 green ovoid cones that are 18–25 cm long and 6–8 cm in diameter with green to silvery color. [4] Female specimens have 1-2 oval cones of the same color, which are larger at 30–35 cm long and 12 cm in diameter. In Bothalia both male and female cones are described as being silvery in color. [5] Both types of cones appear in January, which is the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere. The seeds are 20–25 mm long, 15–20 mm wide, and covered with an orange sarcotesta (similar to an aril). Both the macrosporophylls and microsporophylls have a flat, smooth, and glabrous surface. [6] [7]
Encephalartos is Greek and means 'bear's head'. Inopinus is Latin and means 'unexpected'.
Encephalartos horridus, the Eastern Cape blue cycad, is a small, low-growing cycad up to 0.9 m (3.0 ft) high and 0.9 m (3.0 ft) wide. It is a native of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and found in arid shrublands, most commonly on ridges and slopes with shallow soils. The species is particularly known for its distinctly blue-gray leaves, although the degree of coloration can vary significantly. The species name horridus is Latin for 'bristly', after the plant's stiff, spiny leaflets.
Encephalartos lebomboensis is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. Native to the Lebombo Mountains of South Africa, the species was first described in 1949 by the South African botanist Inez Verdoorn. It is commonly known as the Lebombo cycad, although the name is also used for Encephalartos senticosus which also occurs in the same locality.
Encephalartos senticosus is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae native to the Lebombo Mountains of Mozambique, Eswatini (Swaziland), and the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Prior to its description in 1996, Encephalartos senticosus had been confused with the closely related and sympatric Encephalartos lebomboensis. Both species are commonly known as the Lebombo cycad.
Encephalartos whitelockii is a species of cycad that is native to Uganda.
Encephalartos turneri is a species of cycad that is native to Mozambique. The Encephalartos turneri was discovered by Ian Sutherland Turner in Nampula, Mozambique.
Encephalartos princeps is a species of cycad that is native to Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Encephalartos paucidentatus is a species of cycad.
Encephalartos latifrons is a very rare species of cycad that is native to Eastern Cape province in South Africa at elevations of 200 and 600 m (660–1,970 ft).
Encephalartos eugene-maraisii is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is limited to Limpopo. It is known as the Waterberg cycad.
Encephalartos cycadifolius is a species of cycad that is native to the Winterberg mountains to the north of Bedford in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. It is found at elevations from 1,200 to 1,800 meters.
Encephalartos cupidus is a species of cycad that is found in the Limpopo Province, South Africa at elevations of 700 up to 1,500.
Encephalartos kisambo is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is known as the Voi cycad.
Encephalartos hildebrandtii is a species of cycad in the Zamiaceae family. It is native to Kenya and Tanzania at elevations from sea level to 600 metres (2,000 ft). The species is named for the German explorer Johann Maria Hildebrandt.
Encephalartos schmitzii is a species of cycad in Africa.
Encephalartos schaijesii is a species of cycad endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is only found near Kolwezi in Shaba Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It occurs in Miombo woodlands.
Encephalartos macrostrobilus is a species of cycad in Africa. It is found only in Moyo District, northwestern Uganda, which is populated predominantly by the ethnic Madi.
Encephalartos cerinus or Waxen Cycad is a species of cycad in Africa.
Encephalartos humilis is a species of cycad in the former Transvaal Province, South Africa.
Encephalartos lanatus is a species of cycad, a plant belonging to the family Zamiaceae growing in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Its specific epithet, lanatus, means wooly in Latin.
Encephalartos ngoyanus is a species of cycad in Ngoye Forest, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.