Summary
Encephalartos relictus, also known as the Parlota cycad, is a species of cycad in Eswatini. The cycad is evolutionarily extinct; the cycad has only male plants, meaning that they cannot produce seeds. However, J. J. P. du Preez was able to propagate some offshoots of the specimens.[3]
| Encephalartos relictus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Cycadophyta |
| Class: | Cycadopsida |
| Order: | Cycadales |
| Family: | Zamiaceae |
| Genus: | Encephalartos |
| Species: | E. relictus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Encephalartos relictus P.J.H.Hurter
| |
Description edit
It is a cycad with an arborescent habit, with a stem up to 2.5 m tall and 40–45 cm in diameter, with secondary stems originating from basal suckers. The leaves, pinnate, of a bluish-green color, are 1–2 m long, supported by a petiole about 15 cm long, and composed of numerous pairs of lanceolate, coriaceous leaflets, arranged on the rachis with an angle of about 40°, long up to 20–25 cm, with entire margin and a pungent. It is a dioecious species, of which, however, only male specimens are known which have from 1 to 3 sub-conical cones, about 20–24 cm long and 12–15 cm broad, of greenish-yellow sarcotesta.[4]
References edit
- ^ Bösenberg, J.D. (2022). "Encephalartos relictus (errata version published in 2023)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T41764A243432097. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T41764A243432097.en. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "Parlota Cycad". Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ "Encephalartos relictus: a new species from Southern Africa" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-01-03.