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Encephalartos arenarius

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Photo by D. L. Nickrent, Phytoimages.siu.edu.


The female cone by J Brew, Flickr.com.


The male cones by Phakamani Xaba,  Africageographic.com.

Author:  Robert Allen Dyer, 1955
Family:  ZAMIACEAE
Origin:  Eastern Cape; South Africa
Soil:  Mix - Sandy
Water:  Medium
Sun:  Medium - Maximum
Thickness:  30 Centimetres
Height:  1-3 Metres
Flower:  Cones: Greenish
Propagate:  Seeds
Names:  Alexandria Cycad, Dune Cycad, Kwa Qaba Cycad
Synonyms:  -

This member of the Zamiaceae family was given this name by Robert Allen Dyer in 1955. It is found in Eastern Cape; South Africa, growing in a sandy soil with some water and some to lots of sun. The stem can grow to 30 centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to one or even three centimetres in height. The cones are greenish. Some older plants are  multi-stemmed.

The name Encephalartos is derived from the Greek. en meaning 'within', kephali meaning 'head' and artos meaning 'bread'. The specific name arenarius means 'growing in sandy places', referring to the habitat.


Close-up at the leaf by David J. Stang, ZipcodeZoo.com.


Young plant from  PS-Cycads.com.