Tongaland cycad, Zululand cycad
Encephalartos ferox

Family: Zamiaceae

What it is like

A small cycad. It has an underground trunk. This can be 3 m long. It is 35 cm across. It is rarely branched but has new suckers near the base. The young leaves can be dark green or coppery brown and hairy. The mature leaves are in large numbers and form a rigid crown of obliquely erect leaves. These are stiff and 1-2 m long by 20-30 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 10-15 cm long. The lower leaflets are reduce to spine like processes. The cones are different. Male cones are 40-50 cm long by 7-10 cm wide. There are 1-10 on each stem. They have a fruit stalk 2-3 cm long. The female cone is 25-50 cm long by 20-25 cm wide. There are 1-5 on each stem. They do not have a fruit stalk. The seeds are 4.5-5 cm long by 1.5-2 cm wide. They are oblong and angular and red.

There are 52 Encephalartos species. It may be in a hot house in Slovenia.

Where it is found

It suits tropical and subtropical zones. It grows in dune scrub near the beach. It grows in areas with rainfall between 100-1,250 mm each year. They cannot tolerate frost. In Adelaide Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, East Africa, Indonesia, Mozambique, SE Asia, Slovenia, South Africa (country/location of origin), Southern Africa

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Stem - starch

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or suckers. Suckers transplant easily.

Its other names

Local names

Sikas zulu

Synonyms

Encephalartos kosiensis Hutchinson;