Encephalartos laevifolius
Kaapsehoop cycad
Family Zamiaceae
IUCN: Critically endangered Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
About
Encephalartos laevifolius, the Kaapsehoop cycad, is critically endangered in the wild but widely cultivated. It occurs in north-eastern South Africa and at Piggs Peak in Eswatini.
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
- Up to about 3.5 m tall; leaves up to 1 m long.
Field notes
Morphology
Tree-like, up to 3.5 m tall, sometimes suckering. Leaves up to 1 m long carry smooth-edged, sharp-tipped leaflets 12–15 cm long. Male plants bear 1–5 yellow to brown cones 30–40 cm long; females 1–5 light yellow cones. Seeds have a yellow-orange coat.
Distribution & habitat
KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo in South Africa, and Piggs Peak in Eswatini.
Conservation
Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN since 2012.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- South Africa, Eswatini
- IUCN status
- Critically endangered
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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