Cycas revoluta
Cycas revoluta
Safety & Hazards
The plants contain alkaloids of carcinogens and also an amino-acid that causes chronic nervous disorders[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. Regular consumption of the plant leads to severe health problems and death. This toxic principle can be removed if the food is properly prepared but consumption of the plant still cannot be recommended because its use often means the death of the plant and it is becoming rare in the wild.
Botanical Description
Cycas revoluta is a slow-growing, evergreen palm-like plant with an erect main stem that is usually around 0.5 - 2 metres tall (though up to 8 metres in very old specimens) and around 20 - 90cm in diameter; this is topped by a crown of numerouslarge leaves each around 60 - 150cm long. Older specimens, especially if male, are likely to have one or more branches.[ 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 plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes cultivated as a food plant in Japan, Taiwan and India[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ], and is also commonly grown as an ornamental in gardens and parks, and is a popular bonsai subject[ 314 Title Palm and Cycad Societies of Australia. Publication Author Website http://www.pacsoa.org.au/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Contains at least a little information on the majority of palm and cycad species, plus a wealth of photographs. A first class website. , 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 leaves are used as decorative material, and have been exported in quantity from Japan for this purpose[ 1934 Title Economic Botany of the Cycads Publication Econ Bot 12, 3-41 (1958) Author Thieret J.W. Website https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02863122 Publisher Year 1958 ISBN Description ]. Plants occur primarily on steep to precipitous stony sites, but previously they occurred on flatter land which has since been cleared. There has been massive seed collecting from natural habitats and leaves are exported in large numbers for decorative purposes. Current populations are considered to be stable and so the plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[ 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. ].