This picture is of a cycad. Cycads are an ancient group of plants that were so abundant during the age of the dinosaurs that some scientists call the mesozoic era the age of cycads. This plant may look like a palm or a fern but it is not closely related to either. These plants are often put with the various pine trees in a common group called the gymnosperms. While cycads are often confused with palms, one way to tell is to look at the new leaves as they come out of the tree. In palms the leaves develop first as spear like out growths with parallel veins. In cycads the leaves as they some out of the crown are pale and not spear like. Cycads are nice house plants and seem to like strong light (but not full sun) and well drained soil. In the summer, keep them in filtered shade during the heat of the day.

Cycads are sometimes sold under the name Sago palm. The one native Cycad in the United States is found in Florida and is called a "Koontie". Most of the warmer regions of the Earth seem to have at least one species and there are perhaps 100 species world wide.

pgd 02/15/01