Encephalartos Lehm.

First published in: Nov. Stirp. Pug. 6: 11, t. 1 ad 5 (1834)

Etymology: From the Greek en, in, cephale, head, and artos, bread, in reference to the flour obtained from the trunks of some species by the indigeous tribespeople.

Description: Habit: dioecious palmlike shrubs with often large aerial or subterranean, pachycaul, cylindrical stems, with usually many leaves and persistent leaf bases. Basal offsets ("suckers") produced by most species, aerial branching uncommon. Leaves: pinnate, spirally arranged, interspersed with cataphylls, lower leaflets often reduced to spines. Petioles lacking prickles, usually swollen at the base, with a distinctly differently coloured collar in some species. Longitudinal ptyxis erect, horizontal ptyxis erect. Leaflets simple, frequently with spiny, dentate or lobed margins, with numerous bifurcating parallel veins and no distinct midrib, leaflets not articulated, inserted near the edges of the rhachis towards the adaxial side, lacking a differently coloured basal gland; stomata on lower surface only or on both surfaces; epidermal cells elongated parallel to long axes of leaflets. Leaves pubescent, at least when young, with branched or simple transparent hairs. Microsporophylls: spirally aggregated into determinate, stalked or sessile male cones and each with a simple sterile apex, which is often flattened or faceted but never produced into an upturned spine. Each microsporophyll bearing numerous microsporangia (pollensacs) on its abaxial surfaces. Microsporangia opening by slits. Pollen cymbiform, monosulcate. Megasporophylls: spirally aggregated into determinate, stalked female cones. Sporophylls simple, appearing peltate with a simple dilated apex which is often flattened or faceted but never produced into an upturned spine. Ovules two (rarely three), sessile, orthotropous, inserted on the inner (axis-facing) surface of the thickened lamina and directed inwards ("inverted"). Seeds: subglobular to oblong or ellipsoidal, with a red, yellow, orange or brown fleshy outer sarcotesta. Endosperm haploid, derived from the female gametophyte. Embryo straight; with 2 cotyledons that are usually united at the tips and a very long, spirally twisted suspensor. Seeds radiospermic; germination cryptocotular.