Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody (ligneous) trunk with a crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants of a species are either male or female. Cycads vary in size from having trunks only a few centimeters to several meters tall. They typically grow slowly and have long lifespans. Because of their superficial resemblance to palms or ferns, they are sometimes mistaken for them, but they are not closely related to either group. Cycads are gymnosperms (naked-seeded), meaning their unfertilized seeds are open to the air to be directly fertilized by pollination, as contrasted with angiosperms, which have enclosed seeds with more complex fertilization arrangements. Cycads have very specialized pollinators, usually a specific species of beetle. Both male and female cycads bear cones (strobili), somewhat similar to conifer cones.
Zamia pumila, commonly known as guáyiga or guáyara in Spanish, is a small, tough, woody cycad native to the Greater Antilles. Z. pumila was the first species described for the genus and, therefore, is the type species for the genus Zamia, the Zamia pumila species complex, and the family Zamiaceae.
The Zamiaceae are a family of cycads that are superficially palm or fern-like. They are divided into two subfamilies with eight genera and about 150 species in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Australia and North and South America.
Zamia is a genus of cycad of the family Zamiaceae, native to North America from the United States throughout the West Indies, Central America, and South America as far south as Bolivia. The genus is considered to be the most ecologically and morphologically diverse of the cycads, and is estimated to have originated about 68.3 million years ago.
Dioon is a genus of cycads in the family Zamiaceae. It is native to Mexico and Central America. Their habitats include tropical forests, pine-oak forest, and dry hillsides, canyons and coastal dunes.
Macrozamia heteromera is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae initially discovered by Charles Moore in 1858 and is endemic to New South Wales, Australia. It can be found in the north-western region of New South Wales within the Warrumbungle mountains and further south west towards the Coonabarabran district. It is a low trunked cycad usually at a height below 1 metre and can be found in dry sclerophyll woodlands. M. heteromera can be distinguished from the rest of the Macrozamia genus by its mid-green, narrow, usually divided pinnae and divided seedling pinnae. It is a plant that has toxic seeds and leaves, a characteristic common to cycads. However, after proper preparation and procedure, the seeds are fine for consumption.
Zamia acuminata is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae which is threatened by habitat loss. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
Zamia angustifolia is a species of plant in the genus Zamia. It is found in the Bahamas, where it is threatened by habitat loss, and in Cuba, where it is abundant.
Zamia lucayana is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae, part of the Zamia pumila species complex. It is endemic to the Bahamas, and is endangered by habitat loss. Z. lucayana is known locally as "bay rush".
Zamia neurophyllidia is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. The original description was based on specimens found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. A more recent re-characterization of Z. neurophyllidia is based on a population found in the type locality in Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. It is part of the Zamia skinneri species complex.
Zamia pseudoparasitica is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Panama.
Zamia pygmaea is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae found only in Cuba. It is the smallest living cycad. It is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List based on its limited distribution, severely fragmented habitat, and population of less than 250 mature individuals.
Zamia decumbens, common name sinkhole cycad, is a species of cycad known only from Belize. The species was erroneously referred to in print several times as Z. prasina before its recognition as a distinct species. The species was proposed for protection as a critically endangered species.
Zamia hamannii is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. The only known population grows in a small area on an island on the northwestern Caribbean coast of Panama. Most plants of the species grow in forest, but some live on sandy beaches. It was named and described in 2008.
Zamia imperialis is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. The description is based on specimens found in Coclé Province, Panama. It is part of the Zamia skinneri species complex.
Zamia nesophila, common name "guade teet", is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to several islands in northwestern Panama. Most plants grow on sandy beachs close to the sea, although some grow inland in forests. The species is critically endangered due to seaside development.
Zamia restrepoi is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae.
Zamia stevensonii (blanco) is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is found in the vicinity of the Panama Canal and the Chagres River in central Panama.
Zamia integrifolia, also known as coontie, is a small, tough, woody cycad native to the southeastern United States, the Bahamas, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Rico.
