Encephalartos laurentianus
Kwango giant cycad
Family ZamiaceaeAlso called Malele
IUCN: Near threatened Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
About
Encephalartos laurentianus, the Kwango giant cycad, is the largest of all cycads. It grows along the Kwango River on the border of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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.
- Growth rate
- Said to be the fastest-growing cycad, with up to five leaf flushes a year.
- Mature size
- Stems up to 15 m long; fronds 4–7 m long.
Field notes
Morphology
Multiple upright or sprawling stems reach up to 15 m long and 1 m thick. Each carries a rosette of fronds 4–7 m long, with leaflets 35–50 cm long. Pollen cones are 17–35 cm long and seed cones 35–40 cm. It is said to be the fastest-growing cycad, producing up to five flushes of leaves a year.
Distribution & habitat
Northern Angola and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo along the Kwango River.
History & etymology
Discovered in 1902 by Louis Gentil and named after the Belgian botanist Émile Laurent.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- IUCN status
- Near threatened
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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