Focus Focus Encephalartos Focus Cycad Focus horridus Focus Encephalartos horridus, meal of E. horridus’ Jurassic predecessors. Encephalartos horridus was fi rst de- the Eastern Cape scribed in 1801 by French botanist N.J. Blue Cycad Jacquin as Zamia horrida from a fi eld-col- lected plant cultivated in Vienna, Austria. Article by Figs. 1a and 1b are the lectotypes of the Maurice Levin and Lara Loewenstein species; Fig. 2 is the illustration from the (Photos by Maurice Levin unless noted) 1863 edition of Curtis’ Botanical Magazine Encephalartos horridus is the classic (89: t.5371). This species was transferred South African blue cycad. Its look is abso- to the genus Encephalartos and its gender lutely distinct among all cycads, combin- changed by German botanist J.G.C. Leh- ing an incredibly blue color with unusual mann in 1834. It has been at other times three-dimensional convex leafl ets unique called Zamia tricuspidata and Encephalar- in the cycad world. The specifi c epithet tos horridus var. hallianus. “horridus” is the Latin for “dreadful” or “horrible,” meant to describe the plant’s Habitat spiny appearance. Up close, one can sense Indigenous to South Africa’s Eastern the true meaning of “horridus” by backing Cape province (in Port Elizabeth and the unintentionally into this plant. However, Uitenhage districts), Encephalartos hor- when one walks away just a short dis- ridus fl ourishes best in desertic areas, tance, this plant’s magnifi cent sculptural alongside Euphorbia species, Aloe striata, quality and intensely blue foliage far off- Strelitzia juncea, and introduced Opun- set any sense of dread. tia species (prickly pear or beaver tail The Eastern Cape Blue cycad has stiff cactus), where rain averages 250-600 mm leaves of a markedly silvery-blue-gray (10-24 in) annually. The climate in these Fig. 2. IllustrationIllustration ofof EncephalartosEncephalartos horridushorridus color. The underside of the leaves is often areas is temperate, with frost occur- in Curtis’ Botanical Magazine, 1863 (t. 5371) a greenish-grey-silver mirror of the up- ring only rarely in the winter and tem- per side’s color. While the leaves start by peratures exceeding 40 C in the summer. growing straight, they fi nish with a lovely In fact, E. horridus’ blue color derives recurved habit. With the added three- from the leaves’ refl ective waxy coat- dimensional effect of its thorny leafl ets ing that increases with light intensity, so pointing in every direction, this cycad the plants become bluest when grown in epitomizes the term “living sculpture.” full sun, taking on more of a green tint in One can imagine that even the dinosaurs shade. would have had a hard time making a Fig.Fig. 3. AlbertoAlberto Tenorio withwith typicatypicall EncephalartosEncephalartos horridus fl anked by two “Dwarf Form” plants a b Fig. 1. Lectotype ofof ZamiaZamia horridahorrida fromfrom Jacquin (1800-1809) a) tab.tab. 27, femalefemale cone, Fig. 4. EncephalartosEncephalartos horridus in hillside planting,planting, caudex, sporophylls and seeds; b) tab. 28, male cone, sporophylls, caudex and leaves. fronted by two “Dwarf Form” specimens The Cycad Newsletter 31(1) March 2008 Page 4 Care and Cultivation freezing. However, like most cycads, it It’s important to remember that En- Due to its natural growing conditions, does best in cultivation when planted in cephalartos horridus is native to an arid Encephalartos horridus is relatively easy well-drained soil and can suffer from rot subtropical climate, where the plant to care for: it is drought tolerant, and if too close to a spraying water source. receives whatever rain it gets during the frost resistant to a several degrees below On one occasion when a mature specimen warm summer months and winters are of E. horridus was near a sprinkler in a very dry. So, particularly for those grow- customer’s garden, the crown rotted and ing E. horridus in mediterranean and arid the plant had to be excavated and treated climates, remember that these plants love with fungicide. Ultimately, it was saved heat, accompanied by moisture. Dur- and became a multi-headed plant. ing the summers, these plants react very positively to being well-watered, and they do not mind having wet, if warm feet. Conversely, in winter, E. horridus prefers a dry environment. In a mediterranean climate like that found along the Califor- nia coast, this means providing extremely good drainage when planting E. horridus. We have discovered that one of the best ways to do this is to fi ll the planting hole Fig. 5. Broad leafl et form of Encephalartos horridus “Dwarf Form” halfway with gravel, and actually install the plant atop the gravel, then infi ll and mound with a very porous soil mix. In this way, any rain or irrigation the plant receives during the winter will drain away from the roots. Encephalartos horridus also has rela- tively few pests. The only one of note is a small weevil (Antliarhinus zamiae), whose larvae completely consume the seed or endosperm of the plant. While not a major problem, this weevil does slow the reproduction of E. horridus in the wild, only adding to the problem of conserving these plants. Distinct Forms Encephalartos horridus in its most Fig.Fig. 8. PPlantlant ofof EncephalartosEncephalartos horridushorridus well-known form is often misinterpreted “Steytlerville Form” in a hillside planting as a dwarf cycad. Its stem can reach 1.1 m in length, of which up to 70 cm will be above ground. The rest, due to the plant’s Fig. 6. Star-shaped leafl et subform of Encephalartos horridus “Dwarf Form” Fig.Fig. 9. Green-coloredGreen-colored EncephalartosEncephalartos horridushorridus in San Francisco Botanical Garden Fig.Fig. 7. EEncephalartosncephalartos horridushorridus Fig.Fig. 10. EncephalartosEncephalartos horridus Fig. 11. Seeds of different Encephalartos spp. “Steytlerville Form” leaf detail plant with uniquely spiny leaves Photo by Maurice Levin and Karista Hewes The Cycad Newsletter 31(1) March 2008 Page 5 contractile roots, remain underground, light, it can turn green. On a visit to the making the plant appear much shorter. San Francisco Botanical Gardens, I was The plant’s relatively short leaves also doing a garden walk discussing the cycads add to the impression that this is a dwarf in their facility, and I was told in hushed plant. tones, “You have to see our Encephalartos At least two distinct forms of Enceph- horridus!” Imagine my amazement when alartos horridus are known to exist. The we turned the corner and I was confront- typical form is found in the Eastern Cape ed with the plant pictured in Fig. 9, a Province’s Uitenhage district. Growing uniquely green E. horridus. Because sum- in the karoid veld, an arid subtropical mer temperatures rarely exceed the low climate zone, it is the best-known and 20’s C (low 70’s F), and skies are usually horticulturally most ideal form, found in overcast during the mild summers, this botanical gardens throughout the world. plant had apparently never acquired the Another form of this species is the blue-gray color normally associated with “Dwarf Form,” which grows in the sour- this species. veld high desert in hills near Port Eliza- Additionally, certain seed-grown plants beth in the Eastern Cape Province. All of will exhibit delightful variations in leaf its features (namely its leaves, leafl ets morphology. Fig. 10 shows a distinctly and stems) are much smaller than those spiny form of this plant. of the typical form, with stems rarely taller than 30 cm (12 inches). The sour- Cones and Seeds veld [sówr-vèlt ] is a South African region The cones of Encephalartos horridus, Fig.Fig. 12. GardenGarden plantingplanting ofof EncephalartosEncephalartos trispinosustrispinosus with poor pastureland - an area of high both male and female, appear during land with coarse grass and other plants the early summer, emerging fully by late that are poor fodder for livestock; it is fall, and dehiscing by early winter. Cones for this reason that the “Dwarf Form” is are generally solitary, although a male sometimes postulated as the same plant plant will occasionally produce two cones growing in a harsher climate (Grobbelaar, simultaneously. The female cones, which Cycads [2004]). measure about 20-40 cm (8-16in) long, Having grown both forms in our nurs- 12-20cm (6-8in) in diameter, as on other ery for nearly eight years side-by-side, we cycads, are usually a bit larger than the believe that these are indeed two distinct male cones, which usually measure 20-40 forms. Note the distinctly different fea- cm (8-16 in) long, 6-12 cm (2.4-4.7 in). tures in Figs. 3 and 4, even though both Both female and male cones are a reddish plants have been grown in an identical brown color due to a thin layer of hairs Fig.Fig. 13. Maria Suzette GuadarramaGuadarrama withwith reestablishedreestablished climate, the former at the same Southern that cover them. That reddish brown color offset of Encephalartos arenarius “Blue Form” California nursery, the latter in the same will gradually fade to a light green, as the Southern California hillside. Note, also, female cone matures and the hairs fall the different leaf forms of the “Dwarf off the cone. Please see the covers of this Form.” One form has a distinctly fl atter newsletter which show a dehiscing female leaf form, as seen in Fig. 5. In this form, cone (front cover) and a recently emerged it is as if the E. horridus has traveled to male cone (back cover). “Munchkin Land” and all of its vertical Seeds are on the medium-to-smaller features have been squeezed down, so size among Encephalartos genus. To get a that the leafl ets are the same width, but sense of seed sizes, please see Fig.