The Oldest Pot Plant in the World!!
- Thread starter Gypsy Nirvana
- Start date
I thought it looked like a cycad.. heres some info on encephalartos altensteinii;
Common names
Breadtree, broodboom; uJobane (Zulu) (Palmer & Pitman 1972), eastern Cape giant cycad.
Taxonomic notes
Description
"This is a tall species, the stems up to 22 feet (6.7 m) high ... The trees may be branched or unbranched. The leaves are exceptionally long, often up to 10 feet (about 3 m), and are straight or curved backwards. The leaflets are rigid and fairly broad, the middle ones up to just over 1 inch (2.5 cm) in width, with one or both margins toothed. ... Usually 2-5 cones are borne together. They are greenish-yellow, up to 22 inches (56 cm) long, the female scales covered with protruberances. The seeds are large, up to just over 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) in length, and scarlet.
"The species closely resembles E. natalensis but lacks the prickles at the base of the leaf stalk found in the latter" (Palmer & Pitman 1972).
Common names
Breadtree, broodboom; uJobane (Zulu) (Palmer & Pitman 1972), eastern Cape giant cycad.
Taxonomic notes
Description
"This is a tall species, the stems up to 22 feet (6.7 m) high ... The trees may be branched or unbranched. The leaves are exceptionally long, often up to 10 feet (about 3 m), and are straight or curved backwards. The leaflets are rigid and fairly broad, the middle ones up to just over 1 inch (2.5 cm) in width, with one or both margins toothed. ... Usually 2-5 cones are borne together. They are greenish-yellow, up to 22 inches (56 cm) long, the female scales covered with protruberances. The seeds are large, up to just over 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) in length, and scarlet.
"The species closely resembles E. natalensis but lacks the prickles at the base of the leaf stalk found in the latter" (Palmer & Pitman 1972).
Ive always found cycads very interesting, so heres a bit more info for those that are also likewise ..
Cycad
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(Redirected from Cycads)
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Cycadophyta
Fossil range: Early Permian–Recent
Cycas circinalis with old and new male cones.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Cycadophyta
Class: Cycadopsida
Order: Cycadales
Dumortier
Families
Cycadaceae cycas family
Stangeriaceae stangeria family
Zamiaceae zamia family
Leaves and cone of Encephalartos sclavoi
Cycads are a group of seed plants characterized by a large crown of compound leaves and a stout trunk. They are evergreen, gymnospermous, dioecious plants having large pinnately compound leaves. They are frequently confused with and mistaken for palms or ferns, but are related to neither, belonging to the division Cycadophyta.
Cycads are found across much of the subtropical and tropical parts of the world. They are found in South and Central America (where the greatest diversity occurs), Mexico, the Antilles, south-eastern United States of America, Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and southern and tropical Africa, where at least 65 species occur. Some are renowned for survival in harsh semi-desert climates, and can grow in sand or even on rock. They are able to grow in full sun or shade, and some are salt tolerant. Though they are a minor component of the plant kingdom today, during the Jurassic period they were extremely common.
They have very specialized pollinators and have been reported to fix nitrogen in association with a cyanobacterium living in the roots. This blue-green algae produces a neurotoxin called BMAA that is found in the seeds of cycads.
Origins
The cycad fossil record dates to the Early Permian, 280 mya. There is controversy over older cycad fossils that date to the late Carboniferous period, 300–325 mya. One of the first colonizers of terrestrial habitats, this clade probably diversified extensively within its first few million years, although the extent to which it radiated is unknown because relatively few fossil specimens have been found. The regions to which cycads are restricted probably indicate their former distribution on the supercontinents Laurasia and Gondwana.
The family Stangeriaceae (named for Dr. William Stanger, 1812(?)–1854), consisting of only three extant species, is thought to be of Gondwanan origin as fossils have been found in Lower Cretaceous deposits in Argentina, dating to 70–135 mya. Zamiaceae is more diverse, with a fossil record extending from the Middle Triassic to the Eocene (54–200 mya) in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica, implying that the family was present before the break-up of Pangea. Cycadaceae is thought to be an early offshoot from other cycads, with fossils from Eocene deposits (38–54 mya) in Japan and China, indicating that this family originated in Laurasia. Cycas is the only genus in the family and contains 99 species, the most of any cycad genus. Molecular data has recently shown that Cycas species in Australasia and the east coast of Africa are recent arrivals, suggesting that adaptive radiation may have occurred. The current distribution of cycads may be due to radiations from a few ancestral types sequestered on Laurasia and Gondwana, or could be explained by genetic drift following the separation of already evolved genera. Both explanations account for the strict endemism across present continental lines.
Cycad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Cycads)
Jump to: navigation, search
Cycadophyta
Fossil range: Early Permian–Recent
Cycas circinalis with old and new male cones.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Cycadophyta
Class: Cycadopsida
Order: Cycadales
Dumortier
Families
Cycadaceae cycas family
Stangeriaceae stangeria family
Zamiaceae zamia family
Leaves and cone of Encephalartos sclavoi
Cycads are a group of seed plants characterized by a large crown of compound leaves and a stout trunk. They are evergreen, gymnospermous, dioecious plants having large pinnately compound leaves. They are frequently confused with and mistaken for palms or ferns, but are related to neither, belonging to the division Cycadophyta.
Cycads are found across much of the subtropical and tropical parts of the world. They are found in South and Central America (where the greatest diversity occurs), Mexico, the Antilles, south-eastern United States of America, Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and southern and tropical Africa, where at least 65 species occur. Some are renowned for survival in harsh semi-desert climates, and can grow in sand or even on rock. They are able to grow in full sun or shade, and some are salt tolerant. Though they are a minor component of the plant kingdom today, during the Jurassic period they were extremely common.
They have very specialized pollinators and have been reported to fix nitrogen in association with a cyanobacterium living in the roots. This blue-green algae produces a neurotoxin called BMAA that is found in the seeds of cycads.
Origins
The cycad fossil record dates to the Early Permian, 280 mya. There is controversy over older cycad fossils that date to the late Carboniferous period, 300–325 mya. One of the first colonizers of terrestrial habitats, this clade probably diversified extensively within its first few million years, although the extent to which it radiated is unknown because relatively few fossil specimens have been found. The regions to which cycads are restricted probably indicate their former distribution on the supercontinents Laurasia and Gondwana.
The family Stangeriaceae (named for Dr. William Stanger, 1812(?)–1854), consisting of only three extant species, is thought to be of Gondwanan origin as fossils have been found in Lower Cretaceous deposits in Argentina, dating to 70–135 mya. Zamiaceae is more diverse, with a fossil record extending from the Middle Triassic to the Eocene (54–200 mya) in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica, implying that the family was present before the break-up of Pangea. Cycadaceae is thought to be an early offshoot from other cycads, with fossils from Eocene deposits (38–54 mya) in Japan and China, indicating that this family originated in Laurasia. Cycas is the only genus in the family and contains 99 species, the most of any cycad genus. Molecular data has recently shown that Cycas species in Australasia and the east coast of Africa are recent arrivals, suggesting that adaptive radiation may have occurred. The current distribution of cycads may be due to radiations from a few ancestral types sequestered on Laurasia and Gondwana, or could be explained by genetic drift following the separation of already evolved genera. Both explanations account for the strict endemism across present continental lines.
D
DogBoy
I wholy recommend going when the butterflies are released to do their magic. I went earlier this year and it was an amazing experience. The whole place is filled with butterflies and while they work their magic you can go watch and interact with them. The Blue ones were the size of peoples heads this year and magical to watch.
Many people can get in free and there are concessions for National Trust members and many other affiliate groups. Well worth the time, the orchard is also an amazing spot to smoke out and look over the site.
Many people can get in free and there are concessions for National Trust members and many other affiliate groups. Well worth the time, the orchard is also an amazing spot to smoke out and look over the site.
