Encephalartos septentrionalis

Encephalartos septentrionalis
Conservation status
	; Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
	CITES Appendix I (CITES)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Cycadophyta
Class:	Cycadopsida
Order:	Cycadales
Family:	Zamiaceae
Genus:	Encephalartos
Species:	E. septentrionalis
Binomial name
	Encephalartos septentrionalis; Schweinf. ex Eichler

Encephalartos septentrionalis, the Nile cycad, is a species of

Okapi Faunal Reserve), and the interior of the Central African Republic.^[1]

Description

This is a type of cycad characterized by a round stem, which is partially underground, reaching up to 2 meters in height and 25–30 centimeters in diameter.

Its leaves are feather-like (pinnate), measuring 90–150 centimeters long, and form a crown at the top of the stem. Each leaf is supported by a 2.5–5 centimeter long petiole and contains 40–50 pairs of lance-shaped leaflets with smooth edges. The leaves are a greyish-green color.

This species is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female specimens. Male plants produce up to 8–10 ellipsoid cones, each 12–20 centimeters long and 6–8 centimeters wide, which are supported by stalks. Female plants produce solitary cylindrical cones that hang down, measuring 23–35 centimeters long and 18–20 centimeters in diameter when ripe, and have a yellowish-brown color.

The seeds are roughly oval-shaped and covered by a reddish sarcotesta.^[3]