Encephalartos chimanimaniensis
The Chimanimani cycad is a species of cycad that is endemic to the Chimanimani Mountains of eastern Zimbabwe. It is a threatened species which has been locally extirpated by cycad collectors.
Description
These plants have an upright, unbranched stem, sometimes with additional stems growing from the base, reaching up to 1.8 meters in height and 45 cm in diameter.The leaves are feather-like, 100–150 cm long, made up of narrow leaflets with small spines along the edges, each leaflet being 12–18 cm long and arranged at an angle of 45-80° on the stem.
This species is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female plants. The male cones are oval-shaped, green, 1-3 in number, and sit directly on the plant, measuring 50–70 cm in length and 8–10 cm in diameter, with large, diamond-shaped parts containing pollen. Female cones, found singly, are yellow-green, 35–40 cm long, and 20–23 cm wide, with bumpy surfaces on the parts containing seeds.
The seeds are oblong, measuring 20–30 mm in length and 15–20 mm in width, covered with a red fleshy sarcotesta.