Encephalartos horridus
(Jacq,) Lehm.
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Summary
Source: WikipediaEncephalartos horridus, the Eastern Cape blue cycad, is a small, low-growing cycad up to 0.9 m (3.0 ft) high and 0.9 m (3.0 ft) wide. It is a native of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and found in arid shrublands, most commonly on ridges and slopes with shallow soils. The species is particularly known for its distinctly blue-gray leaves, although the degree of coloration can vary significantly. The species name horridus is Latin for 'bristly', after the plant's stiff, spiny leaflets.
Description
A tree with a stem mostly underground. It grows 30 cm to 1 m tall. The trunk is 20-30 cm across. The leaves are in a ring. They are up to 1 m long with a leaf stalk 13 cm long. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. The leaflets near the base are shorter and others are 10 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. The cones occur singly on short stout stalks. Female cones are bluish-green and 40 cm long.
Edible Uses
The stems are processed to make a meal and used as yeast.
Traditional Uses
The stems are used to make a meal and as yeast.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant.
Where It Grows
Africa, South Africa*, Southern Africa,
Synonyms
References (2)
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 108
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
