Cycad plants have outlasted dinosaurs and ice ages, making them one of the most ancient plant groups alive today. Browse the full species list and see what else sets them apart.
POPULARSago palm
Cycas revoluta
Cardboard palm
Zamia furfuracea
Chestnut dioon
Dioon edule
Giant dioon
Dioon spinulosum
Florida arrowroot
Zamia integrifolia
coontie
Zamia pumila
Eastern Cape giant cycad
Encephalartos altensteinii
Queen sago
Cycas circinalis
Eastern Cape blue cycad
Encephalartos horridus
Tongaland cycad
Encephalartos ferox
Queen sago
Cycas rumphii
Madagascar cycad
Cycas thouarsii
Moore's zamia palm
Macrozamia moorei
burrawang palm
Lepidozamia peroffskyana
Cycad
Ceratozamia mexicana
Cycad
Dioon merolae
Karoo cycad
Encephalartos lehmannii
Ground Cycad
Encephalartos villosus
Hope's cycad
Lepidozamia hopei
Bamboo Cycad
Ceratozamia hildae
Cycad
Cycas siamensis
Cycad
Cycas pectinata
Natal grass cycad
Stangeria eriopus
Cycas media
Cycas media
Kei cycad
Encephalartos princeps
Byfield fern
Bowenia serrulata
burrawong
Macrozamia communis
Zamia Palm
Macrozamia riedlei
Natal giant cycad
Encephalartos natalensis
Modjadji Cycad
Encephalartos transvenosus
MacDonnell Ranges Cycad
Macrozamia macdonnellii
Bushman’s River cycad
Encephalartos trispinosus
Thunberg’s cycad
Encephalartos longifolius
Cycad
Cycas seemannii
Barberton cycad
Encephalartos paucidentatus
Kenyan Giant Cycad
Encephalartos tegulaneus
Voi cycad
Encephalartos kisambo
Macrozamia miquelii
Macrozamia miquelii
Cycad
Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi
Pineapple Zamia
Macrozamia lucida
Kwango Giant Cycad
Encephalartos laurentianus
Zamia neurophyllidia
Zamia neurophyllidia
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Cycads are seed-producing plants with a fossil record stretching back 270-280 million years. They belong to the gymnosperms, the same broad group as pines and ginkgos.
They are defined by the column-like trunk, large, feather-shaped compound leaves, and reproduction through cones. They may look like palms or ferns at a glance. But palms are flowering plants, while ferns don't produce seeds at all.
So, the real distinction is reproductive.
For example, the Sago palm is a cycad with a pineapple-shaped male cone. A true palm like the Parlor palm flowers and produces fruit instead.
These ancient plants also grow far more slowly. Some take 100 years to put on just one meter of trunk.
This group includes 10 genera and 382 species, distributed across tropical and subtropical regions. Zamia, with 90 plants spread from Florida to Bolivia, is the largest American genus.
Genus | Number | Main distribution |
Cycas | 124 | Asia, Pacific, E. Africa |
Zamia | 90 | Americas (Florida to Bolivia) |
Encephalartos | 71 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
Ceratozamia | 45 | Mexico, Central America |
Macrozamia | 41 | Australia |
Dioon | 19 | Mexico, Central America |
The four remaining genera — Bowenia, Lepidozamia, Microcycas, and Stangeria — account for just 6 species between them.
Around 60% of assessed species are listed as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable by the IUCN. Encephalartos carries the highest concentration of threatened species of any cycad genus.
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