Encephalartos cerinus
Encephalartos cerinus | |
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Conservation status | |
![]() Critically endangered, possibly extinct in the wild (IUCN 3.1)[1] | |
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2] | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Gymnospermae |
Division: | Cycadophyta |
Class: | Cycadopsida |
Order: | Cycadales |
Family: | Zamiaceae |
Genus: | Encephalartos |
Species: | E. cerinus |
Binomial name | |
Encephalartos cerinus Lavranos & D.L.Goode |
Encephalartos cerinus or Waxen Cycad is a species of cycad in Africa.
Description
This cycad is stemless, growing from an underground stem that's about 30 cm long and 25 cm wide. Occasionally, a small part of the stem may emerge above the ground.
Its leaves, numbering from eight to ten, are flat and opaque, measuring 80–120 cm long, and have a bluish or silvery green hue. The leaflets, 15–18 cm long, are arranged oppositely along the rachis at an angle of 150–180°. They have a thick, waxy coating that releases a distinct odor when rubbed. The leaf margins are smooth with small teeth.
This species is dioecious, with male cones that are spindle-shaped, 55–60 cm long, and 9–10 cm wide. Female cones are ovoid, 30–35 cm long, and 15–18 cm in diameter. Each plant produces only one cone at a time, which changes color from bluish green to yellow as it matures.
The seeds are oblong, measuring 25–30 mm long, and are covered with an orange or yellow sarcotesta.[3]
References
- ^ Bösenberg, J.D. (2023) [errata version of 2022 assessment]. "Encephalartos cerinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T41883A243424414. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T41883A243424414.en. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Appendices". CITES. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "Encephalartos cerinus". PlantZAfrica. 2019-01-21. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
External links
Media related to Encephalartos cerinus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Encephalartos cerinus at Wikispecies
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