Encephalartos septentrionalis

Description

Encephalartos septentrionalis, the Nile cycad, is a species of cycad in South Sudan, northern Uganda, northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (in the Okapi Faunal Reserve), and the interior of the Central African Republic. It is a cycad with a globose stem, at least partly underground, up to 2 m high and with a diameter of 25-30 cm. The leaves, pinnate, 90–150 cm long, are arranged in a crown at the apex of the stem and are supported by a 2.5–5 cm long petiole, without thorns; each leaf is composed of 40-50 pairs of lanceolate leaflets, with entire margins, greyish-green in color. It is a dioecious species with male specimens that have up to 8-10 ellipsoid cones, 12–20 cm long and 6–8 cm broad, pedunculated, and female specimens with solitary cylindrical, pendulous cones, 23–35 cm long and with a diameter of 18–20 cm, yellowish-brown in color when ripe. The seeds are coarsely ovoid, covered by a reddish-colored sarcotesta. Encephalartos is a genus of cycad native to Africa. Several species of Encephalartos are commonly referred to as bread trees,bread palms or kaffir bread,since a bread-like starchy food can be prepared from the centre of the stem. The genus name is derived from the Greek words en (within), kephalē (head), and artos (bread), referring to the use of the pith to make food. They are, in evolutionary terms, some of the most primitive living gymnosperms. All the species are endangered, some critically, due to their exploitation by collectors and traditional medicine gatherers. The whole genus is listed under CITES Appendix I which prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except for certain non-commercial motives, such as scientific research. Several of the species possess stout trunks. In E. cycadifolius, the main trunks are up to 10 feet (3.0 m) high, and several of them may be united at a base where a former main trunk once grew. The persistent, pinnate leaves are arranged in a terminal spreading crown, or ascending. The rigid leaflets are variously spiny or incised along their margins. The leaflets have a number of parallel veins and no central vein.