Cycas zeylanica

• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

Description

Family Cycadaceae

Trees or shrubs evergreen , dioecious, mostly palmlike; trunk columnar , sometimes dichotomously branched at apex, rarely ovoid-bulbous and subterranean , clothed with bases of fallen leaves; bark often thickened and roughened. Leaves borne at apex of trunk, 1(-3) -pinnately compound , spirally arranged ; new leaves erect (or somewhat inflexed and appearing coiled in C. multipinnata group), with circinnate leaflets ; petiole with spines representing (reduced basal leaflets), rarely unarmed , base swollen and hairy ; leaflets numerous , alternate to subopposite, dichotomously branched in a few species, midvein present, margin usually entire. Cataphylls prominent , alternate with leaves, hairy, apex often rigid and pungent . Pollen cones borne at apex of trunk, cylindric or fusiform ; microsporophylls numerous, scalelike, spirally and tightly arranged along axis of cone, with numerous microsporangia in groups abaxially; pollen tubes producing 2 motile sperm cells . Megasporophylls several to numerous, somewhat leaflike, alternating with flushes of leaves, arranged in a loose , "conelike" crown surrounding apex of trunk, each with a linear fertile stalk and an apical, pinnatifid or subentire sterile blade ; ovules (1 or) 2-5 on each side of stalk. Seeds drupelike, somewhat compressed ; seed coat 3-layered, consisting of colored sarcotesta , woody sclerotesta , and membranous endotesta . Cotyledons 2, united at base. Germination hypogeal, cryptocotylar . 2n = 22*.

One genus and ca. 60 species: E Africa (including Madagascar), E and S Asia, N Australia, Pacific Islands; 16 species (eight endemic) in China.

Ornamental species include Cycas revoluta, which is widely cultivated worldwide. Other species (e.g. , C. circinalis Linnaeus, C. media R. Brown, C. pectinata, C. rumphii Miquel, C. taitungensis, and C. thouarsii R. Brown) have excellent ornamental qualities. The stem starch , "sago" (not to be confused with the true sago as obtained from palms of the genus Metroxylon Rottboøll), is edible and is used in packing brewers’ yeast after the removal of cycasins which are highly toxic and carcinogenic . A paste of Cycas seeds and coconut oil is used for the treatment of skin complaints, wounds, ulcers, sores, and boils .[1]

Genus Cycas

Morphological characters and geographical distribution are the same as those for the family .[2]

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Cycas rumphii zeylanica J. Schust.

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Wilson K .L.

Similar Species

Members of the genus Cycas

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 221 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

C. aculeata · C. acuminatissima · C. angulata (Marlborough Blue Sago) · C. annaikalensis (Annaikal Cycas (India)) · C. apoa · C. arenicola · C. armstrongii (Australian Cycad) · C. arnhemica · C. arnhemica arnhemica · C. arnhemica muninga · C. arnhemica natja · C. arnhemica subsp. muninga · C. arnhemica subsp. natja · C. aurea · C. avenicola · C. badensis · C. baguanheensis · C. balansae · C. basaltica · C. beddomei (Andhra Pradesh Cycas) · C. bellefonti · C. bifida (Fork-Leafed Cycad) · C. boddami · C. bougainvilleana (Cycad) · C. brachycantha · C. brevipinnata · C. brunnea · C. caffer · C. cairnsiana (Mount Surprise Sago) · C. calcicola · C. campestris (Cycad) · C. canalis · C. canalis canalis · C. canalis carinata · C. canalis subsp. carinata · C. candida · C. celebica · C. chamaoensis (Cycad) · C. chamberlainii · C. changjiangensis (Cycad) · C. chevalieri · C. chonarsu · C. circinalis (Palm-Leaved Cycas) · C. circinalis subsp. papuana · C. circinalis vera · C. circinnalis · C. clivicola (Mountain Cycad) · C. clivicola lutea · C. clivicola subsp. lutea · C. cochinchinensis · C. collina · C. comorensis · C. condaoensis · C. conferta · C. couttsiana (Cycad) · C. crassipes · C. cupida · C. curranii · C. debaoensis (Multipinnate Cycas) · C. desolata · C. diannanensis (Cycad) · C. dilatata · C. dolichophylla (Cycad) · C. edentata (Cycad) · C. edentata de · C. elephantipes (Cycad) · C. elongata · C. fairchildiana · C. fairylakea · C. falcata (Cycad) · C. ferruginea (Cycad) · C. fugax · C. furfuracea · C. glauca · C. glaucophylla · C. gracilis · C. gracilis var. glauca · C. gracilis var. viridis · C. guizhouensis · C. hainanensis (Hainan Cycas) · C. hamelini · C. hoabinhensis · C. hongheensis (Cycad) · C. hypoleuca · C. immersa · C. indica · C. inermis · C. intermedia · C. javana · C. jenkinsiana · C. kedia (Australian Nut Palm) · C. kennedyana · C. kirkii · C. lane-poolei · C. lindstromii · C. lingshuigensis · C. litoralis (Sea Sago) · C. longiconifera · C. longipetiolula · C. longisporophylla

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• Donaldson, J.S. (ed.) 2003. Cycads. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
• Fu Shu-hsia, Cheng Wan-chün, Fu Li-kuo & Chen Chia-jui. 1978. Cycadaceae. In: Cheng Wan-chün & Fu Li-kuo, eds., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 7: 4-17.

Notes

Contributors

• African Regional Workshop (Conservation and Sustainable Management of Trees, Zimbabwe) 1998. Pericopsis elata. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 October 2006.
• Barneby RC & Forero E, 1994/1995 (from ILDIS).
• Barneby RC & Grimes JW (Monograph 1996/97), 2001-05 (from ILDIS).
• Barneby RC and Forero E, 1994/1995 (from ILDIS).
• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2005. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [http://sn2000.taxonomy.nl/Taxonomicon/]. Access date: Nov 23, 2005
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 21, 2007.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2007. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed September 17, 2007.
• Carr, Gerald
• Chappill J, 2001-06 (from ILDIS).
• Cristofolini G, 2001-06 (from ILDIS).
• Fautin, Daphne G. (from Hexacorallians of the World).
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed January 27, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• Hexacorallians of the World 2001.
• Heyn CC & Heller D 1991/1993 (from ILDIS).
• Hill, K.D. 2003. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008.
• Home of the Xylariaceae 2006.
• ILDIS World Database of Legumes, 10, Nov 2005
• ILDIS World Database of LegumesNov 10, 2005.
• Lewis GP, 1994/1995 (from ILDIS).
• Light, Kris. East Tennessee Wildflowers
• Nghia, N.H. 1998. Dalbergia entadoides. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 October 2006.
• Pippen, Jeffrey S. Jeff's Nature Page. Accessed December 8, 2007.

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3776066
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: IOP-200000-652
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:20006946-1
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 20006946
• IUCN ID: 42098
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 432763

Footnotes

1. Jiarui Chen & Dennis W. Stevenson "Cycadaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 4 Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. "Cycas". in Flora of China Vol. 4 Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2009 the BayScience Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.