Etymology: Honoring Eugene Marais, South African naturalist and writer, who first reported this species. Literature: Illustrations: Vernacular: Historical notes: Described in 1945 by South African botanist Inez Verdoon. Thought to cover a number of widely disjunct populations of blue-leaved cycads in Transvaal province when described, but subsequently refined in the light of closer study with the segregation of a number of other species (see E. middelburgensis, E. dyerianus, E. dolomiticus). E. hirsutus is another more recently recognised member of this group. Distinguishing features: Distinguished within a group of blue-leaved Transvaal species by the straight leaves with incurved tips, the entire median leaflets, with lower leaflets often developing a single spine on the lower margin, the lower 2-3 pairs of leaflets reducing in size and becoming divided, a clear petiole 12 16 cm long, and green cones with a fine brown tomentum. This group of Transvaal species is distinguished from the blue-leaved species of the Cape Province (E. lehmannii and allies) by the almost concolorous leaves with stomata on both surfaces. Distribution and habitat: Central Transvaal Province, South Africa, in scattered small populations around the Waterberg region. Conservation: 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category V. Description:
Plants arborescent; stem 2.5 m tall, 30-45 cm diam. Leaves 100-150 cm long, blue or silver, dull, strongly keeled (opposing leaflets inserted at 50-90° on rachis); rachis blue, straight with last third sharply recurved, slightly twisted in some leaves; petiole straight, with no prickles, spine-free for 15 cm; leaf-base collar not present; basal leaflets not reducing to spines, or reducing to spines. Leaflets lanceolate, concolorous, overlapping downwards, not lobed, insertion angle obtuse (45-80°); margins flat; upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin entire (no teeth); median leaflets 15-20 cm long, 13-18 mm wide. Pollen cones 1-3, fusiform, brown, 20-40 cm long, 6-8 cm diam. Seed cones 1-2, ovoid, brown, 30-50 cm long, 16-20 cm diam. Seeds oblong, 35-40 mm long, 23-30 mm wide, sarcotesta orange-brown.
|
