1. 
2. Help
3. Log In

Zamia fischeri

Photo Dennis Stevenson

The Cycad Pages GENUS  Zamia D.W. Stevenson

• Leaves pinnate
• Leaflets lacking a midrib
• Leaflets articulated
• Sporophylls in vertical rows in cones
• Megasporophyll apices faceted or flattened, not spinose

Habit: dioecious palm- or fern-like shrubs with aerial or subterranean, pachycaul, cylindrical or globose stems, with few to many leaves. Leaf bases mostly not persistent. New leaves emerging singly or in flushes. Dichotomous branching common in geophytic species, basal offsets ("suckers") produced by some species.

Leaves: pinnate, spirally arranged, interspersed with cataphylls, lower leaflets not reduced to spines. Petioles often with prickles. Longitudinal ptyxis erect, horizontal ptyxis erect. Leaflets simple, with spiny margins in some species, with numerous bifurcating parallel veins and no distinct midrib, leaflets articulated, inserted near the edges of the rhachis towards the adaxial side, lacking a differently coloured basal gland; stomata on lower surface only or on both surfaces; epidermal cells elongated parallel to long axes of leaflets. Leaves pubescent, at least when young, with branched and simple, transparent and coloured hairs.

Microsporophylls: spirally orthostichous, aggregated into stalked or sessile male cones and each with a simple sterile apex, which is often flattened or faceted, sometimes weakly bilobed, never produced into an upturned spine. Each microsporophyll bearing numerous microsporangia (pollensacs) on the abaxial surfaces. Microsporangia opening by slits. Pollen cymbiform, monosulcate.

Megasporophylls: spirally orthostichous, aggregated into stalked or sessile female cones. Sporophylls simple, appearing peltate with a simple dilated apex which is usually hexagonal, often flattened or faceted, sometimes weakly bilobed, never produced into an upturned spine. Ovules two (rarely three), sessile, orthotropous, inserted on the inner (axis-facing) surface of the thickened lamina and directed inwards ("inverted").

Seeds: subglobular to oblong or ellipsoidal, with a red, orange, yellow or rarely white fleshy outer sarcotesta. Endosperm haploid, derived from the female gametophyte. Embryo straight; with 2 cotyledons that are usually united at the tips and a very long, spirally twisted suspensor. Seeds radiospermic; germination cryptocotular.

1 Leaflets deeply grooved between veins above, ridged below, appearing plicate

2 Leaflets petiolulate -- Zamia wallisii
2* Leaflets sessile

3 Leaflets entire

4 Leaflets linear, falcate basally -- Zamia roezli
4* Leaflets elliptic to obovate

5 Leaflets obovate -- Zamia montana
5* Leaflets elliptic -- Zamia amplifolia

3 Leaflets with marginal teeth and/or apical teeth

6 Leaflets small, less than 30 cm long and 10 cm wide

7 Leaflets elliptic, 8-12 pairs, evenly toothed in upper third; stems arborescent -- Zamia neurophyllidia
7* Leaflets lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3-5 pairs, very coarsely toothed apically; stems hypogeous -- Zamia purpurea

6* Leaflets large, 30-50 cm long and 15-25 cm wide

8 Leaves 5 to many, 4-8 pairs of leaflets, stems to 2 m -- Zamia skinneri
8* Leaves 1-3, 2-5 pairs of leaflets, stems subterranean -- Zamia dressleri

1* Leaflets smooth and not appearing plicate

9 Leaflets with distinct petiolule and gland-like collar at the base of the blade

10 Gland a simple abaxial rim, leaflets less than 35 cm long and 7 cm wide -- Zamia manicata
10* Gland an abaxial flap that is adaxially rolled, leaflets greater than 40 cm long and 8 cm wide -- Zamia macrochiera

9* Leaflets sessile and without a gland-like collar

11 Petioles smooth

12 Leaflet margins entire

13 Leaflets sclerophyllous with pungent tips

14 Leaflets to 15 cm wide; microsporophyll facets shallowly inclined, microsporangia abaxial only, seeds brown -- Zamia inermis
14* leaflets to 3 cm wide; microsporophyll facets steeply inclined,, microsporangia abaxial and adaxial; seeds white -- Zamia encephalartoides

13* Leaflets papyraceous to coriaceous and tips not sharp

15 Leaflets 05-1 cm wide, linear; plants terrestrial, seeds red -- Zamia portoricensis
15* Leaflets 2-5 cm wide, falcate; plants epiphytic; seeds yellow -- Zamia pseudoparasitica

12* Leaflet margins toothed

16 Leaflets papyraceous to chartaceous, lanceolate to oblong or obpyriform

17 Leaves reflexed, leaflet pairs less than 12, lanceolate -- Zamia fischeri
17* Leaves erect, leaflet pairs 15-30, obpyriform -- Zamia vazquezii

16* Leaflets coriaceous, linear to elliptic to obovate

18 leaflets elliptic, plants with short trunk -- Zamia urep
18* Leaflets linear to linear-oblong

19 Leaflets linear to linear-oblong

20 Leaflets 2-5 mm wide, often rolled adaxially, apices acute with 1-3 callous teeth -- Zamia angustifolia
20* Leaflets 5-20 mm wide, flat, apices rounded, 10-20 teeth

21 Leaflet margins with 5-10 obscure, callous teeth at apex -- Zamia integrifolia
21* Leaflet margins with 10-20 obvious teeth in upper third -- Zamia pumila

19* Leaflets oblong-obovate to obovate

22 Leaflets less than 7 cm long, 3 cm wide -- Zamia pygmaea
22* Leaflets greater than 10 cm long, 3 cm wide -- Zamia amblyphyllidia

11* Petioles with at least a few prickles

23 Leaflet margins entire

24 Leaves 15-80 pairs of leaflets with acute apices

25 Leaflets chartaceous to membranous

26 40-80 pairs of imbricate leaflets, prickles often branched -- Zamia chigua
26* 15-20 pairs of widely spaced leaflets, prickles never branched -- Zamia gentryi

25* Leaflets coriaceous

27 Leaflets narrowly lanceolate, adaxially concave, rachis prickled -- Zamia soconuscensis
27* Leaflets linear-lanceolate, flat, rachis without prickles -- Zamia lecointei

24* Leaves with 6-15 pairs of leaflets with acuminate apices

28 Leaflets abruptly acuminate apically, prickles sparse to sometimes absent -- Zamia tuerckheimii
28* Leaflets drawn out into a long acuminate apex, prickles numerous

29 Leaflets 1-3 cm wide -- Zamia acuminata
29* Leaflets 3-6 cm wide -- Zamia pseudomonticola

23* Leaflet margins toothed

30 Leaflets variegated with small yellow spots -- Zamia variegata
30* Leaflets uniformly green

31 Leaflets membranous, margins with some biserrate teeth -- Zamia disodon
31* Leaflets papyraceous to coriaceous, margins with uniserrate teeth

32 Leaflets elliptic to oblong-elliptic, acuminate apically, margins finely serrulate

33 10-20 leaflet pairs, stems arborescent -- Zamia obliqua
33* 3-6 leaflet pairs, stems hypogeous -- Zamia ulei

32* Leaflets linear to lanceolate to obovate, acute or rounded apically, margins coarsely toothed

34 Leaflets obovate to oblong-obovate

35 Leaflets extremely coriaceous, pubescent at maturity -- Zamia furfuracea
35* Leaflets chartaceous, glabrous at maturity

36 Leaflets finely toothed at apex only -- Zamia ipetensis
36* Leaflets coarsely toothed in upper third -- Zamia cunaria

34* Leaflets linear to oblong-lanceolate

37 Marginal teeth spinulose and spreading at nearly a right angle

38 Leaves up to 1 m long, leaflets coriaceous, rachis without prickles -- Zamia standleyi
38* Leaves 15-25 m long, leaflets chartaceous, rachis with prickles -- Zamia poeppigiana

37* Marginal teeth serrate and at an acute angle or obscurely callous

39 Leaflet apices long acuminate and curved upwards, marginal teeth obscure -- Zamia monticola
39* Leaflet apices straight, short acuminate to acute

40 Leaflets less than 7 mm wide -- Zamia spartea
40* Leaflets greater than 10 mm wide

41 Leaflets imbricate -- Zamia cremnophila
41* Leaflets non-imbricate

42 Leaflets dull grey-green, glaucous -- Zamia loddigesii
42* Leaflets green and non-glaucous

43 Rachis without prickles

44 Leaflets oblong-lanceolate, 3-8 cm wide -- Zamia verschaffeltii
44* Leaflets linear-lanceolate curved apically, 15-5 cm wide -- Zamia lacandona

43* Rachis with prickles

45 Petiole and rachis densely prickled, prickles stout

46 Leaflets falcate basally, prickles never branched, petiole glabrous -- Zamia fairchildiana
46* Leaflets, cuneate basally, prickles often branched, petiole ferruginous -- Zamia amazonum

45* Petiole and rachis moderately to sparsely prickled

47 Prickles minute, less than 1 mm -- Zamia melanorrhachis
47* Prickles conspicuous

48 Leaflets linear-lanceolate, marginal teeth distant, 0.5-1 cm apart -- Zamia herrerae
48* Leaflets oblong to ovate to oblong-lanceolate, marginal teeth close set, less that 5 mm apart

49 Petiole more than one-half as long as the rachis -- Zamia muricata
49* Petiole less than one-half as long as the rachis

50 Marginal teeth inconspicuous, limited to apical region -- Zamia paucijuga
50* Marginal teeth conspicuous, in upper two-thirds -- Zamia polymorpha

The World List References and Links Home

The Cycad Pages © 1998 Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Written and maintained by Ken Hill Please send comments and corrections