Encephalartos barteri

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Figure 1. E. barteri

Common Names:

West African Cycad

Distribution & Habitat:

Found in Jebba in western Nigeria, Benin and in the southern districts of Lake Volta, Ghana. It occurs in seasonally dry tropical forests and woodlands on sandy soils over granites and sandstones.

Description:

A vigorously suckering, medium sized cycad, with a trunk to 2.6 metres (8 feet) tall, and bright green leaves from 1 to 2m (3-6 feet) long.

Cultivation:

Likes a sunny, well drained position. Fire resistant, but frost sensitive.

There is also a subspecies allochrous which was was discovered in 1978 in the foothills of the Jos Plateau in central northern Nigeria. It can be distinguished from the normal species in that its new leaves are brown, while those of the normal species are light green.

Figure 2. E. barteri leaf detail.

Figure 3. E. barteri leaf detail.

Figure 4. E. barteri subsp. allochrous leaf detail

Figure 5. E. barteri subsp allochrous.

Figure 6. E. barteri subsp allochrous.

Contributed by:

Peter Heibloem Cycad Gardens (Figure 1,2,3,4,5,6)

External Links:

World List, IUCN, JSTOR, Trebrown

Google, GoogleImages, Flickr,