Zamiaceae FAMILY Near Threatened

Zamia loddigesii

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

The fleshy seeds contain a toxic glycoside that causes headaches, vomiting, stomach pains and diarrhoea if ingested[ 293 Title Poisonous Plants of North Carolina Publication Author Website http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes. ]. The juice from the plant is very poisonous[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. ]. The starch obtained from the stem is poisonous unless thoroughly cooked[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].

Botanical Description

Zamia loddigesii is an evergreen palm-like shrub with a subterranean, tuberous stem around 25 - 30cm long and 5 - 8cm in diameter. The stem is topped by a crown of around 2 - 5 large leaves that can each be around 75 - 90cm long. Young plants have a single crown of leaves, but older plants divide at the apex and form multiple crowns[ 1935 Title The Cycads Publication Author Whitelock L.M. Publisher Timber Press; Portland, Oregon Year 2002 ISBN 0-88192-522-5 Description An excellent book dealing with the eleven different genera and almost 300 species of plants we know as Cycads. There are detailed descriptions and a host of other information for each species. ]. The stems are a source of starch that was once a staple food for many local peoples, it is little used nowadays. This species has been affected as a result of habitat destruction due to agriculture and cattle ranching that could lead to a population decline of more than 30%. It is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeCentral America - Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, Mexico.

HabitatOpen slopes or fields, sometimes in wet or moist thickets or forest, occasionally in lowland pine forest, lowlands of both coasts at sea level to 1,000 metres in Guatemala[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ , 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].