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| Photo Ken Hill
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| The Cycad Pages
| | Encephalartos altensteinii
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- Encephalartos altensteinii Lehm., Pugill. 6: 11, t. 4, 5 (1834). tt. 4 & 5
- TYPE: the plates t. 4 & 5.
Encephalartos altensteinii var. angustifolia Miq., Monogr. Cycad. 52 (1842).
- TYPE: "cult. ins. Pavon." Encephalartos glaber cited.
Encephalartos altensteinii var. distans Regel, Trudy Imp. S.-Petersburgsk. Bot. Sada 3: 114 (1873).
- TYPE: Zamia vernicosa hort. Versch. Cited.
Encephalartos altensteinii var. eriocephalus de Vriese, Nederl. Kruidk Arch. 1:171 (1846).
- TYPE: the plate Descr. Pl. Nouv. Jard. Leyde p. 1 t. 1 & 2 (1847).
Encephalartos altensteinii var. parvifolius Regel, Trudy Imp. S.-Petersburgsk. Bot. Sada 3: 114 (1873).
- TYPE: Zamia elegantissima, Z. vandenheckii & Enc. vromii hort. Versch. Cited.
Encephalartos altensteinii var. semidentatus Miq., Monogr. Cycad. 51 (1842).
- TYPE: "cl van Marum in hort. Amstelod." Enc marumii cited.
Encephalartos altensteinii var. spinosior Regel, Gartenflora 24: 40 (1875).
- TYPE: Enc vromii cited.
Encephalartos marumii De Vreise, in Hoeven & De Vriese, Tijdschr. Natuurl. Gesch. Physiol. 5: 187 (1838-9). ?
- TYPE: hort. bot. Amstelodamensi cited.
Encephalartos regalis W. Bull, Retaill List 1899: 4, t. 8 (1899).
- TYPE: ?t. 8.
Zamia vroomi hort., Pl. Cult. Serres Jard. Bot. Brux.: 194 (1903).
- TYPE: ?
- [Encephalartos glaber hort. ex J. Schust., Pflanzenr. 4(1): 112 (1932), nom. nud.]
- [Encephalartos grandis hort. ex J. Schust., Pflanzenr. 4(1): 113 (1932), nom. nud.]
- [Encephalartos van-den-heckei hort. ex J. Schust., Pflanzenr. 4(1): 113 (1932), nom. nud.]
- [Zamia elegantissima hort. ex J. Schust., in Engl., Pflanzenr. 4(1): 112 (1932), nom. nud.]
- [Zamia glabra hort. ex J. Schust., in Engl., Pflanzenr. 4(1): 112 (1932), nom. nud.]
- [Zamia katzeri Regel ex J. Schust., in Engl., Pflanzenr. 4(1): 112 (1932), nom. nud.]
- [Zamia spinosa Lodd., Cat. n. 168 (), nom. nud.]
- [Zamia spinosa Lodd. Cat. 168 ex Miq., Linnaea 17: 721 (1843), nom. nud.]
- [Zamia spinosissima hort. Bel. ex Miq., Linnaea 17: 721 (1843), nom. nud.]
- [Zamia spinulosa hort. ex Miq., Linnaea 17: 721 (1843), nom. nud.]
Etymology:
Honoring --- Altenstein, 19th century
German statesman and patron of science.
Literature:
Illustrations:
Vernacular:
Historical notes:
Described in 1834 by German botanist
J.G.C. Lehmann.
Distinguishing features:
A robust, tall growing species with deep green glossy leaves, leaflets held
in a V and yellow cones, very closely allied to E. natalensis, E.
lebomboensis and E. woodii. E. altensteinii is
distinguished in this group by the straight rachis, the broad, well-spaced
leaflets with 1-3 prickles on each margin, the basal leaflets not reducing
to spines, leaving 15-20 cm of bare petiole, and the lack of woolly tomentum
in the crown around newly emerging leaves.
Distribution and habitat:
A widespread species in eastern Cape and south-western Natal provinces,
South Africa, in near-coastal sites ranging from open shrubland steep rocky
slopes to closed evergreen forests in valleys.
Conservation:
1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants
category V.
Description:
Plants arborescent; stem 5 m tall, 25-35 cm diam.
Leaves 100-200 cm long, light or bright green to dark green, highly
glossy, moderately keeled (opposing leaflets inserted at 100-150° on
rachis); rachis green, straight, stiff, not spirally twisted; petiole straight,
with no prickles; leaf-base collar not clear; basal leaflets not reducing to
spines.
Leaflets lanceolate or ovate, strongly discolorous, overlapping
downwards or not overlapping, not lobed, insertion angle obtuse (45-80°);
margins flat; upper margin lightly toothed (1-3 teeth); lower margin lightly
toothed (1-3 teeth); median leaflets 15 cm long, 25 mm wide.
Pollen cones 1-5, narrowly ovoid, yellow, 40-50 cm long, 12-15 cm
diam.
Seed cones 1-5, ovoid, yellow, 40-55 cm long, 25-30 cm diam.
Seeds oblong, 35-40 mm long, 20-25 mm wide, sarcotesta red.
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