Ceratozamia pacifica (Ceratozamia)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Ceratozamia

Description

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Family Zamiaceae

Plants superficially palmlike or fernlike, perennial , evergreen , dioecious. Stems subterranean with exposed apex or aboveground, fleshy , stout, cylindric , simple or irregularly branched. Roots with small secondary roots; coral-like roots developing at base of stem at or below soil surface. Leaves pinnately compound , spirally clustered at stem apex, leathery, petiole and rachis unarmed [with stout spines]; leaflets entire or dentate [spinose ], venation dichotomous [netted ]; resin canals absent. Cones axillary , appearing terminal , short-peduncled [sessile], disintegrating at maturity; sporophylls densely crowded, spirally arranged , often covered with indument . Pollen cones soon shed, generally smaller and more numerous than seed cones; sporophylls bearing many crowded, small microsporangia (pollen sacs ) adaxially; pollen spheric, not winged . Seed cones persistent for a year or more, 1(--2) per plant, nearly globose to ovoid , tapering sharply or blunt at apex; sporophylls peltate, thickened and laterally expanded distally, bearing 2(--3) ovules. Seeds angular, inner coat hardened, outer coat fleshy, often brightly colored ; cotyledons 2.

Genera 9, species ca. 100 (1 genus, 1 species in the flora ) : primarily tropical to warm temperate regions , North Americ, Central America, South America, Africa, Australia.[1]

Physical Description

Habit: Evergreen .

Biology

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Growth

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae () - Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae () - Cavalier-Smith, 1981
    - Phylum: Tracheophyta () - Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
      - Subphylum: Euphyllophytina ()
        Infraphylum: Radiatopses () - Kenrick & Crane, 1997
        Class: Cycadopsida () - Brongn.
        Order: Cycadales () - Dumortier, 1829
        Family: Zamiaceae () - Horaninow, 1834 - Sago-palm Family
        Tribe: Zamieae ()
        Genus: Ceratozamia () - Brongniart, 1846
        Specific epithet: pacifica
        Botanical name: - Ceratozamia pacifica