Etymology: Latin lanatus, woolly Literature: Illustrations: Vernacular: Historical notes: Described in 1926 by English botanists Otto Stapf and Joseph Burtt Davy. Distinguishing features: The robust stems and relatively narrow entire leaflets emerging with a bluish tint and turning dark green with age place this species nearest to E. lanatus and E. friderici-guilielmi. It is distinguished from E. laevifolius by the keeled leaves that are distinctly recurved at the tips and the densely woolly crowns, leaf-bases and cones. E. friderici-guilielmi has straight leaves and more numerous cones. Distribution and habitat: Eastern Transvaal Province, South Africa, in grassland or low shrubs on steep rocky slopes. Conservation: 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants category R.
Description:
Plants arborescent; stem 1-1.5 m tall, 25-30 cm diam. Leaves 100 cm long, blue green, dull, strongly keeled (opposing leaflets inserted at 40-80° on rachis); rachis yellowish, straight with last third sharply recurved, not spirally twisted; petiole straight, with no prickles; leaf-base collar not present; basal leaflets reducing to spines. Leaflets linear, weakly discolorous, overlapping downwards or not overlapping, not lobed, insertion angle horizontal; margins flat; upper margin entire (no teeth); lower margin entire (no teeth); median leaflets 10-14 cm long, 6-8 mm wide. Pollen cones 1-4, narrowly ovoid, red, 25-30 cm long, 5-6 cm diam. Seed cones 1-4, ovoid, yellow, 25-30 cm long, 12-15 cm diam. Seeds ovoid or oblong, 25-30 mm long, 20-25 mm wide, sarcotesta
yellow.
|
