The Cycad Pages Cycads in Africa Three genera of cycads in three different families are known from Africa. The largest and most widespread of these is the African endemic genus Encephalartos, in the family Zamiaceae, with over 60 species spread through southern and central Africa. The distinctive genus Stangeria (Sangeriaceae), with a single variable species, is restricted to Natal Province of South Africa and nearby Mozambique. The third genus in Africa is Cycas, in the family Cycadaceae. A single species of this large genus known from a few small occurrences on the east coast, in Kenya. Some think that these are from introductions by man at some stage over the past thousand years. Cycas thouarsii E. Africa, Indian Ocean Islands emulans South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal) Encephalartos altensteinii South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos aplanatus Swaziland Encephalartos arenarius South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos barteri Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Encephalartos barteri subsp. allochrous Nigeria Encephalartos brevifoliolatus South Africa (Limpopo) Encephalartos bubalinus Kenya, Tanzania Encephalartos caffer South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos cerinus South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal) Encephalartos chimanimaniensis Mozambique, Zimbabwe Encephalartos concinnus Zimbabwe Encephalartos cupidus South Africa (Mpumalanga) Encephalartos cycadifolius South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos delucanus Tanzania Encephalartos dolomiticus South Africa (Limpopo) Encephalartos dyerianus South Africa (Limpopo) Encephalartos equatorialis Uganda Encephalartos eugene-maraisii South Africa (Limpopo) Encephalartos ferox Mozambique, South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal) Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi South Africa (E. Cape, kwaZulu-Natal) Encephalartos ghellinckii South Africa (E. Cape, kwaZulu-Natal) Encephalartos gratus Malawi, Mozambique Encephalartos heenanii South Africa (Mpumalanga), Swaziland Encephalartos hildebrandtii Kenya, Tanzania Encephalartos hirsutus South Africa (Limpopo) Encephalartos horridus South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos humilis South Africa (Mpumalanga) Encephalartos inopinus South Africa (Mpumalanga) Encephalartos ituriensis Dem. Rep. of Congo, Uganda Encephalartos kisambo Kenya Encephalartos laevifolius South Africa (E. Cape, kwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga), Swaziland. Encephalartos lanatus South Africa (Mpumalanga) Encephalartos latifrons South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos laurentianus Angola, Dem. Rep. of Congo Encephalartos lebomboensis Mozambique, South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal), Swaziland Encephalartos lehmannii South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos longifolius South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos mackenziei Sudan Encephalartos macrostrobilus N. Uganda Encephalartos manikensis Mozambique, Zimbabwe Encephalartos marunguensis Dem. Rep. of Congo Encephalartos middelburgensis South Africa (Mpumalanga) Encephalartos msinganus South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal) Encephalartos munchii Mozambique Encephalartos natalensis South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal) Encephalartos ngoyanus South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal), Swaziland Encephalartos nubimontanus South Africa (Limpopo) Encephalartos paucidentatus South Africa (Mpumalanga), Swaziland. Encephalartos poggei Dem. Rep. of Congo Encephalartos princeps South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos pterogonus Mozambique Encephalartos relictus Swaziland Encephalartos schaijesii Dem. Rep. of Congo Encephalartos schmitzii Dem. Rep. of Congo, Zambia Encephalartos sclavoi Tanzania Encephalartos senticosus South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal)’ Swaziland Encephalartos septentrionalis Sudan, Uganda Encephalartos tegulaneus Kenya Encephalartos tegulaneus subsp. powysii Kenya Encephalartos transvenosus South Africa (Limpopo) Encephalartos trispinosus South Africa (E. Cape) Encephalartos turneri Mozambique Encephalartos umbeluziensis Mozambique, Swaziland Encephalartos villosus South Africa (E. Cape, kwaZulu-Natal), Swaziland Encephalartos whitelockii Uganda Encephalartos woodii South Africa (kwaZulu-Natal), extinct in nature Stangeria eriopus South Africa (E. Cape, kwaZulu-Natal) The Cycad Pages The World List References and Links Home © 1998-2004 Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Written and maintained by Ken Hill