Encephalartos laevifolius

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Figure 1. E. laevifolius

Distribution and Habitat:

Rocky slopes in open, exposed areas in the mountains of Eastern Transvaal Province, and Swaziland.

Description:

A medium sized cycad, to about 4 metres, and trunk about 300mm across, with up to six stems in the clump. Bluish-green young leaves, older leaves up to 1.4 metres long.

General:

Often drops its leaves prior to a new flush.

Culture:

Full sun, well drained position. Not often seen in cultivation, although usually quite easy to grow. Frost tolerant.

Figure 2. E. laevifolius with female cones

Figure 3. E. laevifolius

Figure 4. E. laevifolius in habitat.

Figure 5. E. laevifolius

Figure 6. E. laevifolius

Figure 7. E. laevifolius

Figure 8. E. laevifolius - remains of a poached stem.

Contributed by:

Dr Andre J. Cilliers (Figure 1,2&3)
Renier Smit (Figure 4,5,6,7,8)

External Links:

World List, IUCN, JSTOR, Trebrown

Google, GoogleImages, Flickr,