Dioon mejiae

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File:D.mejiae male cone.jpg

Figure 1. D. mejiae male cone.

Distribution & Habitat:

It is found in Honduras, and Nicaragua on steep slopes and canyons in semi-deciduous tropical rain forest, generally at elevations of 265 - 500 m (870 - 1600 ft), in soil that is generally decomposed granite and rich in humus. The climate is subtropical, and rain falls generally in summer.

Description:

A small to medium sized cycad, to about 1m tall, with stiff, obliquely erect leaves to about 2m long. It has dark green leaves, that are flat in profile, and spineless leaflets (except the terminal leaflet, which can be quite sharp). It is a very tropical looking Dioon, and similar in appearance, though usually much shorter than D. spinulosum. The latter develops many meters of trunk and tends to have a few spines on the leaflets even in adult plants. It is usually a vigorous grower that holds a number of leaves in the crown.

Culture:

Sunny, well drained position, in the tropics or sub-tropics. Makes a great specimen plant in a relatively moist warm garden. Drought tolerant.

Figure 2. D. mejiae

Figure 3. D. mejiae leaf detail.

Figure 4. D. mejiae attractive small plant.

Figure 5. D. mejiae looking down into the heart.

Contributed by:

Ian Edwards (Figures 1,3,4&5)
Angello Porceli (Figure 2)

External Links:

Cycad Pages, IUCN, JSTOR, Trebrown

Google, GoogleImages, Flickr,