Cycas taitungensis

Description

“Cycas taitungensis is a relict species from Taiwan. It is an elegant erect palm-like plant with a stout simple or branched trunk up to 5 m tall; the leaves forming a graceful crown at the summit. Cycas taitungensis is very similar to the common Cycas revoluta from which it differs only for the longest flatter fronds with long, large and flat leaflets. Furthermore, the female cones tend to be more tightly imbricate and cabbage-like. The seeds are darker than those of C. revoluta. Typical of all the family, the plants are dioecious.

Trunk: Arborescent sometimes branched, 3-5(-6) m tall, 25-30(-45) cm in diameter, apex very tomentose; bark black, scaly.
Leaves: to 50 or more, 1-pinnate, deep green, semiglossy, (100-)130-180(-200) cm long, 20-30(-40) cm wide. Petiole (10-)15-25 (-30) cm (15-20% of total leaf), subtetragonal in cross section, glabrous with 7-14 spines along each side (spinescent for 50-90% of length). Leaf blade oblong, strongly “V”-shaped in cross section, recurved, densely orange-brown tomentose when young shedding as leaf expands; leaflets in 130-200 pairs, horizontally inserted at 55-65° above rachis, straight to subfalcate, not glaucous when mature, 14-20 cm × 5-8 mm, leathery, sparsely pubescent abaxially, base decurrent, margin flat or slightly recurved, midrib flat above, raised below, rachis usually terminated by a spine. Basal leaflets gradually reducing to spines, 30 mm long.
Cataphylls: The cataphylls (Modified leaf, much reduced and thickened, serving to protect the apical meristem in cycads produced in flushes preceding the emergence of cones or leaves.) are triangular, 4-7 × 1.7-2.5 cm, densely pale brown tomentose, apex pungent.
Pollen cones: ovoid-cylindric to fusiform, (35-)45-55 long, 8-10(-13) cm in diametres; microsporophylls narrowly obtriangular, 3.5-4.5 × 1.1-1.5 cm, apex cuspidate.
Megasporophylls: Like other Cycas species, the female plants do not bear cones; instead they carry ovules and seeds on large, bright orange-red, spadelike megasporophylls, which are 15-28 cm, pale brown tomentose, glabrescent; stalk 8-17 cm; sterile blade suborbicular or rhombic-orbicular, 7-14 × 6-11 cm, pectinate, with 29-39 lobes 2-4.5 cm; ovules 2(or 3) on each side of stalk, densely pale brown tomentose.
Seeds: 2-6, orange-red, narrowly obovoid or subellipsoid, 4-5 × 2.5-3.3 cm, often with remnant hairs; sarcotesta red, slightly pruinose, 1.5-3 mm thick; fibrous layer absent; sclerotesta with 2 or 3 irregular grooves on each side.

Cultivation and Propagation: Cycas taitungensis is easy to grow, tolerating dry periods, and light frosts. It prefers bright light exposure but colour bleaches when in full sun; best with some protection from afternoon heat. Needs a well drained spot, with deep soil, but will still thrive in less than ideal conditions, not tolerant of alkaline soils. Usually slow growing, however good conditions can speed it up considerably. Because of its growth habit, fertilize only when terminal bud begins to swell, indicating the start of the annual growth cycle.
Maintenance: Minimal; removal of offsets if desired, removal of spent fronds

Propagation: Seed or offshoots (or “pups” ). The advantage of the “pups” is that you will know its sex, for seedlings you will have to wait several years until the plant flowers to find out. After fertile seeds are collected, they usually need several months of storage before the inner embryo is ready to germinate. Therefore, it is best to clean the seeds of external fruit and set them aside before attempting to propagate the seeds.

Use: Landscape as cultivated perennial in warm, coastal areas; House-plant or interior-scape, as container plant in cool areas, as well very well suited to bonsai culture.”

Source / credit: http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/PALMS_AND_CYCADS/Family/Cycadaceae/30173/Cycas_taitungensis