About

About The World List of Cycads

Purpose

To provide a comprehensive and reliable taxonomic reference for cycad taxonomy, nomenclature, biology, and literature.

With a fossil record dating back over 300 million years, modern cycads (Order Cycadales) are survivors of an ancient plant lineage which was widespread and diverse during the age of dinosaurs. Cycads are the most imperiled plant group on earth; the majority of species are listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .

A reliable taxonomic system is the foundation for research and conservation efforts with these important plants. The World List of Cycads provides this foundation in the form of a working list of cycad names along with associated information such as details about publication, nomenclatural types, geographic distribution, and conservation status.

Description

The World List of Cycads is a working list of known cycad species names with the primary goal of providing reliable information on the taxonomy of cycads for use by researchers, conservation planners, and others. It is developed in close collaboration with the world's foremost cycad experts and published under the auspices of the IUCN's Cycad Specialist Group . The printed edition is published in the proceedings of the International Conference of Cycad Biology, which is held every three years. The most recent printed version was published in 2012 in the Proceedings of the 8th International Conference of Cycad Biology and is available here .

History

The first World List of Cycads was published in Encephalartos (Journal of the Cycad Society of South Africa ) (Osborne & Hendricks, 1985) with minor amendments in a supplementary list in a subsequent issue of the same journal (Osborne & Hendricks, 1986). A number of successive updates followed as changes in taxonomy and outlook made the previous lists obsolete. These have been presented at the various International Conferences on Cycad Biology and elsewhere. The current World List is produced under the auspices of the IUCN Cycad Specialist Group, and the most recent printed version, published in 2012, is available here .

About the Online Edition

This site hosts the official online edition of The World List of Cycads, a searchable database of cycad names and associated information. The database can be searched and sorted by multiple fields, and species entries provide additional information on species not found in the print version. The online version of the World List of Cycads is periodically updated to reflect changes in cycad nomenclature and taxonomy. Cycad Database developed using BRAHMS Botanical Research and Herbarium Management System . Website designed by Michael Calonje, hosted by Montgomery Botanical Center .

Standards in Use

Authors' names are abbreviated in accordance with Brummitt & Powell (1992) and the International Plant Names Index . Publication titles are abbreviated in accordance with Taxonomic Literature, ed. 2 (TL2) , except in cases where TL2 provides the same abbreviations for different works. Abbreviations for herbaria follow those of Index Herbariorum , and the conservation status listed follows and links to the current IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .

Published Versions of The World List of Cycads
  • Hill, K.D., D.W. Stevenson & R. Osborne. 2004a. The world list of cycads. Pp. 219-235, In: T. Walters & R. Osborne (eds.), Cycad Classification: Concepts and Recommendations. CABI Publishing, Cambridge, MA.
  • Hill, K.D., D.W. Stevenson & R. Osborne. 2004b. The world list of cycads. Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Cycad Biology (CYCAD 99). Botanical Review 70: 274-298.
  • Hill, K.D., D.W. Stevenson & R. Osborne. 2004c. The world list of cycads. Pp. 195-212, In: A.J. Lindstrom (ed.), Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Cycad Biology (CYCAD 2002). Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Pattaya, Thailand.
  • Hill, K.D., D.W. Stevenson & R. Osborne. 2007. The world list of cycads. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Cycad Biology (CYCAD 2005), Xalapa, Mexico, January 2005. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 97: 454-483.
  • Osborne, R., M.A. Calonje, K.D. Hill, L. Stanberg & D.W. Stevenson. 2012. The world list of cycads. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Cycad Biology (CYCAD 2008). Panama City, Panama, January 2008. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 106: 480-510.
  • Osborne, R. & J. Hendricks. 1985. A world list of cycads. Encephalartos 3:13-17
  • Osborne, R. & J. Hendricks. 1986. A world list of cycads-supplement. Encephalartos 5:27.
  • Osborne R., D.W. Stevenson & K.D. Hill. 1999. The world list of cycads. Pp. 224-239, In: C.J. Chen (ed.), Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Cycad Biology (CYCAD 96). International Academic Publishers, Beijing, China.
  • Stevenson, D.W. & R. Osborne. 1993a. The world list of cycads. Pp. 354-364, In: D.W. Stevenson & K.J. Norstog (eds.), Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Cycad Biology (CYCAD 90). Palm & Cycad Societies of Australia Ltd., Milton, Queensland,
    Australia.
  • Stevenson, D.W. & R. Osborne. 1993b. The world list of cycads. Encephalartos 33: 19-25.
  • Stevenson, D.W., R. Osborne & J. Hendricks. 1990. A world list of cycads. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Cycad Biology (CYCAD 87). Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 57: 200-206.
  • Stevenson, D.W., R. Osborne & K.D. Hill. 1995. The world list of cycads. Pp. 55-64, In: P. Vorster (ed.), Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Cycad Biology (CYCAD 93). The Cycad Society of South Africa, Stellenbosch, South Africa.