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| Photo Ken Hill
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| The Cycad Pages
| | Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi
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- Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi Lehm., Pugill. 6: 8, tt. 1-3 (1834). tt. 1-3
- TYPE: the plates tt. 1, 2 & 3.
Etymology:
Honoring Friedrich Wilhelm, (latinised to friderici
guilielmi), 19th century king of Prussia and patron of science.
Literature:
Illustrations:
Vernacular:
Historical notes:
Described in 1834 by German botanist
J.G.C. Lehmann.
Distinguishing features:
The narrow entire leaflets are distincive, but can be confused with E.
ghellinckii, E. cycadifolius, E. lanatus and E.
laevifolius. E. ghellinckii usually has even narrower leaflets
that can be distinguished by the recurved margins. E. friderici
guilielmi can be separated from E. cycadifolius by spreading
crown of stiff leaves with usually longer and broader leaflets, and the
abundance of thick wool in the crown. Stems are also longer, and cones more
in number. E. laevifolius is distinguished by the straight and flat
leaves and the almost smooth crowns, leaf-bases and cones, and E.
lanatus has keeled leaves that are sharply recurved towards the tips,
and fewer cones.
Distribution and habitat:
Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, Cathcart and Queenstown districts, in
grassland and open shrubland on rocky ridges.
Conservation:
1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants
category V.
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| Photo Ken Hill
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Description:
Plants arborescent; stem 4 m tall, 40-60 cm diam.
Leaves 100-150 cm long, blue or silver to blue green, dull, strongly
keeled (opposing leaflets inserted at 60-100° on rachis); rachis green,
straight, stiff, not spirally twisted; petiole straight, with no prickles;
leaf-base collar not present; basal leaflets reducing to spines.
Leaflets linear, weakly discolorous, overlapping upwards, not lobed,
insertion angle obtuse (45-80°) or acute (less than 45°); margins
flat; upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin lightly toothed (1-3 teeth);
median leaflets 10-18 cm long, 7-8 mm wide.
Pollen cones 1-12, narrowly ovoid, yellow, 30-40 cm long, 8-10 cm
diam.
Seed cones 1-5, ovoid, yellow, 25-30 cm long, 15-20 cm diam.
Seeds oblong, 25-30 mm long, 15-20 mm wide, sarcotesta yellow.
