Encephalartos arenarius
Alexandria cycad
Family ZamiaceaeAlso called Dune cycad
About
Encephalartos arenarius, the Alexandria or dune cycad, is endangered and limited to the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where it grows in wooded dunes and scrub.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Mature size
- Stem up to about 1 m; leaves 1–1.5 m long.
Field notes
Morphology
An egg-shaped stem, partly buried, 20–30 cm across and up to 1 m tall, bears leathery leaves 1–1.5 m long. Male cones are 30–50 cm long; female cones are cylindrical, 35–60 cm long and 20–30 cm across. The roughly round seeds are 20–25 mm wide with a red coat.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to the Eastern Cape, mostly around the town of Alexandria, in densely wooded dunes and scrub.
Conservation
Considered endangered, with at most about 1,500 mature plants worldwide; over-collection is the main threat.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- South Africa
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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