Encephalartos transvenosus

Stapf. & Burtt. Davy

Modjadji cycad

Zamiaceae Edible: Flesh around Seeds, Caution Potential hazards — see below 246 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Encephalartos transvenosus is a palm-like cycad in the family Zamiaceae, with a localized distribution in Limpopo, South Africa. Its common names, Modjadji's cycad or Modjadji's palm, allude to the female dynasty of the Lobedu people, the Rain Queens, whose hereditary name is Modjadji. The queen resides near a valley (of late a nature reserve) which is densely forested with these cycads, which they protected and hold sacred. The species name transvenosus refers to the fine network of veins between the main veins. These can be seen when the leaf is held up to the light.

Description

A tall plant. It grows to 12 m tall. The trunk is thick and scarred. It has a netted pattern. The crown is made up of shiny straight leaves. The leaves are spiny and up to 2.4 m long. The leaflets are broad; the middle one being 3 cm wide. They are often slightly curved and have teeth along the edges. The fruit occur as cones. 2 to 4 cones occur together. They are large and the female cones are the biggest. They can be 80 cm long and weigh 34 kg, They occur in the heart of the big green leaves. The seed are orange red. The thin fully ripe flesh around the seed is edible.

Edible Uses

The thin fully ripe flesh around the seeds is eaten fresh, especially by children. The stem is sliced and buried to partly ferment, then sliced, sun-dried, crushed into flour, and boiled before eating.

Traditional Uses

The fully ripe flesh around the seeds is eaten, especially by children. The stem is cut into slices and buried until it becomes partly fermented then it is sliced and sun dried before crushing into flour. This is eaten after boiling. CAUTION: The seed kernel is poisonous.

Known Hazards

The seed kernel is poisonous.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in the mountains in South Africa. It grows in forests and on hillsides. In South Africa it grows in regions with warm to hot summers and mild but frost free winters. It grows between 600-1000 m altitude. The rainfall is 500-1000 mm with a summer maximum.

Where It Grows

Africa, Australia, East Africa, Mozambique, South Africa*, Southern Africa,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. Seed germinate easily. Plants can be grown from suckers. Suckers transplant easily.

Production

It grows quickly. It can produce seeds 11 years after planting from seed.

Notes

There are 52 Encephalartos species.

Also Known As

Likobe, Modjadjibroodboom, Mtondolo, Mucovela, Mugobela

References (13)

Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 396
J. Burtt Davy, Man. pl. Transvaal 1:40, 99, fig. 4B. 1926
Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 368
Jones, D.L., 2000, Cycads of the world. Reed New Holland. p 216
Marinelli, J. (Ed), 2004, Plant. DK. p 370

Show all 13 references

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Palmer, E and Pitman, N., 1972, Trees of Southern Africa. Vol. 1. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town p 321
Plowes, N. J. & Taylor, F. W., 1997, The Processing of Indigenous Fruits and other Wildfoods of Southern Africa. in Smartt, L. & Haq. (Eds) Domestication, Production and Utilization of New Crops. ICUC p 190
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 108
THIERET,
van Wyk, B, van Wyk, P, and van Wyk B., 2000, Photographic guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Briza. p 130
Van Wyk, Br. and van Wyk P., 2009, Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Nature. p 58
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