Cycas

Cycas Overview

This genus is characterised by around 15 slow-growing evergreen, woody-stemmed perennial species. They are favoured for their palm-like appearance and won’t survive below 10ºC. They typically have whorls of pinnate, leathery leaves that are stiff and linear or sickle-shaped. From the centres of the leaf rosettes arise dioecious inflorescences – large cone-like male structures covered in woolly hairs, or loosely arranged modified leaves with ovules at the margins, which represent the female inflorescence. Most species in this genus are listed as threatened. They originate from India and are an evolutionarily old genus, dominant worldwide during the Jurassic and Cretaceous time periods. Many fewer species are present today and these are localised around the equator.