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Cycas > |
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Read about Cycas circinalis in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Cycas circinalis, Linn. (C. Thouarsii, R. Br.). Fern Palm. A palm-like tree with cylindrical trunk and a crown of glossy, fern-like, stiff but gracefully curved pinnate lvs.: trunk clothed with the compacted woody bases of petioles, usually columnar and simple, but often branching when the terminal bud has been cut off, or in clusters of several springing from the base of an old trunk which has been cut down; in addition to the true lvs., modified lvs. in the form of simple short subulate woolly prophylla; true lvs. 5-8 ft. long, long-petioled, the petiole bearing short deflexed spines near the base; pinnae alternate, 10-12 in. long and quite narrow, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, subfalcate, the midrib stout and prominent beneath, bright green above, paler beneath: male infl. in the form of an erect woolly cone composed of scales bearing globose pollen- sacs on the under surface and tapering at the apex into a long spine; female infl. in the center of the crown of lvs., consisting of a tuft of spreading buff-colored, woolly, pinnately-notched lvs. (carpophylls) about 6-12 in. long, spinous toothed along the margin, and bearing in the notches the naked ovules; ovules 3-5 pairs, Borne above the middle: fr. about the size of a walnut, with a thin fleshy covering, and a fleshy starchy endosperm resembling that of a horse-chestnut. S. India, Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, Philippines, Madagascar, E. Trop. Afr.. Guam.—In Fla. the lvs. of this species are often destroyed by sharp frosts, but the trunk is rarely injured and will soon send forth new lvs. when the weather becomes warm again. Nehrling recommends that fine specimens be protected by a tent or by a house of lattice-work covered with canvas, and with the sides also inclosed if necessary. In this house a large kerosene lamp will be sufficient to keep the plant from freezing. In Tampa, Fla., this species appears to flourish, some of the specimens having trunks 6-8 ft. high. It grows best in rich moist soil and in partial shade. On the island of Guam, the nuts of this species form a food staple for the natives in times of famine following hurricanes. These are so poisonous that the water in which the kernels are soaked is fatal to animals. After having been soaked for some time and the water repeatedly changed, the kernels become harmless, and are ground up into meal and dried for future use. They are usually prepared in the form of cakes, which are said to be nutritious although rather tasteless. CH
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References
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
External links
- w:Cycas circinalis. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Cycas circinalis QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)