Encephalartos longifolius
Thunberg's cycad
Family ZamiaceaeAlso called Suurberg cycad, Breadpalm
About
Encephalartos longifolius, Thunberg's cycad or breadpalm, is a near-threatened cycad from the coastal Eastern Cape of South Africa. It has the largest pollen cones in its genus.
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 m tall; leaves up to 2 m long.
Field notes
Morphology
Grows up to 3 m tall with a trunk that thickens greatly with age. Dark or metallic green arching leaves up to 2 m long carry overlapping, smooth-edged leaflets. One to three green male cones reach 40–60 cm; female cones are up to 40 cm across. Seeds are red, up to 5 cm long.
Distribution & habitat
Coastal Eastern Cape up to about 600 m, on mountain ridges from west of Joubertina in the Kouga Mountains to near Grahamstown.
Conservation
Listed as Near Threatened; although known from many sites, populations are declining overall.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- South Africa
- IUCN status
- Near threatened
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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