Encephalartos latifrons | |
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Encephalartos latifrons at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Gymnospermae |
Division: | Cycadophyta |
Class: | Cycadopsida |
Order: | Cycadales |
Family: | Zamiaceae |
Genus: | Encephalartos |
Species: | E. latifrons |
Binomial name | |
Encephalartos latifrons Lehm. | |
Albany Cycad (Encephalartos latifrons) distribution |
Encephalartos latifrons (known as the Albany Cycad) is a species of cycad that is native to Eastern Cape province in South Africa at elevations of 200 and 600 metres. [3]
This is a tall, tree-like cycad plant with a stem that can be upright or lying down, reaching up to 4.5 meters in height and 30-45 centimeters in diameter. Its bright green, feather-like leaves grow in a cluster at the top of the trunk, each leaf being 1-1.5 meters long and supported by a 10-20 centimeter long stalk that curves downward. The leaves are made up of many pairs of large, leathery leaflets, each up to 15 centimeters long, arranged at a sharp angle along the central leaf spine, partially overlapping, and with the lower edges having 3-4 triangular lobes. This plant is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female specimens. Male plants have 1-3 short, cylindrical cones that are about 30-50 centimeters long and 8-17 centimeters wide, olive-green in color. Female plants have 1-3 upright, cylindrical cones that are about 50-60 centimeters long and 23-25 centimeters wide, also olive green, with macrosporophylls about 8 centimeters long. The seeds are roughly egg-shaped, 2.5-3.0 centimeters long, and covered with dark red sarcotesta. [4]
E. latifrons occurs (or, more correctly, used to occur) in scattered groups in the districts of Bathurst and Albany in the Eastern Cape province. The plants grow on rocky outcrops and hill slopes, usually amongst scrub bush vegetation. The rainfall ranges from 1000mm to 1250mm per year, on average, and is fairly evenly distributed during the year. Frost does not occur. Summers may be hot and fairly dry. There existed an early report of E. latifrons occurring in the Uitenhage district, but this was almost certainly a mistake, possibly as a result of incorrect labelling. [5]
In August 2014 thirteen Encephalartos latifrons cycads were stolen from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa. The estimated value of all thirteen was at least R200,000 (US18,675). The plants were planted over 100 years ago as part of a research and reproduction programme of this particular species of Encephalartos that no longer naturally reproduces in the wild. Encephalartos is highly valued as a garden or ornamental plant in many parts of the world and it is thought the plants were stolen to be sold on the black market. [6]
Encephalartos latifrons, a plant species, now exists in areas used for pineapple and chicory farming and livestock rearing. Historical photos indicate the disappearance of plants at several sites by 1996, possibly due to land use changes. The primary threat to the species is the trade in cycads, driven by its rarity. The removal of mature plants is a significant risk, as the species heavily relies on adult survival, and the extinction of natural pollinators and a lack of recent seed production add to its challenges. [7]
Lepidozamia peroffskyana is a palm-like cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to eastern Australia. The species is named after Count Peroffsky (1794-1857), benefactor of the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden.
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 ferox, a member of the family Zamiaceae, is a small cycad with 35 cm wide subterranean trunk. It gets its name from the Latin word ferocious, likely from the spine-tipped lobes on the leaves of the plant. It is found naturally on the south-eastern coast of Africa where it has been used by local people for its starch content. It is considered to be one of the most popular cultivated cycads.
Encephalartos altensteinii is a palm-like cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to South Africa. The species name altensteinii commemorates Altenstein, a 19th-century German chancellor and patron of science. It is commonly known as the breadtree, broodboom, Eastern Cape giant cycad or uJobane (Zulu). It is listed as vulnerable due to habitat destruction, use for traditional medicine and removal by collectors.
Encephalartos caffer, the Eastern Cape dwarf cycad, is a rare cycad from the genus Encephalartos.
Encephalartos trispinosus is a species of cycad that is native to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Encephalartos princeps is a species of cycad that is native to Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
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, and through most of KwaZulu-Natal. The number of mature individuals of this species is declining and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "near threatened".
Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi is a species of cycad that is native to Eastern Cape province and KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa at elevations of 700 up to 1400 meters.
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 arenarius is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is limited to the Eastern Cape. Its common names include Alexandria cycad and dune cycad.
Encephalartos laevifolius is a species of cycad that is found in the KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa, and at Piggs Peak in Eswatini. The species is facing extinction in the wild, but is widely cultivated. As of 2012, the Encephalartos laevifolius has been listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
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 poggei is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is referred to by the common name Kananga cycad. It is native to Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zaire.
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 septentrionalis, the Nile cycad, is a species of cycad in South Sudan, northern Uganda, northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the interior of the Central African Republic.
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 munchii is a perennial species of cycad in Africa. In English, the species goes by the common name Munch's cycad.
Encephalartos nubimontanus is a species of cycad which is native to Limpopo, South Africa.
Encephalartos tegulaneus, the Kenyan giant cycad, is a species of cycad endemic to Kenya. It occurs in Eastern Province near Embu, Kenya, and on the Matthews Range in Rift Valley Province.