Zamia erosa
O.F.Cook & G.N.Collins
Zamiaceae
Zamia amblyphyllidia D.W.Stev.
Common Name:
General Information
Zamia erosa is an evergreen shrub with a subterranean, tuberous stem 3 - 25cm in diameter. The stem is topped by a crown of 2 - 15 leaves that can each be up to 150cm long[
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.
,
990- Title
- The Cycad Pages
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/cycad/wlist.html
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
- Year
- 2012
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A website dedicated to the various species of Cycad, with a comprehensive description of all the known species (as of 2012). At present (2015), the site is still running but is no longer being updated
].
The stems have been used in the past as a source of starch for local people.
This species is very rare in the wild, and extinct in parts of its range, although it is quite common in cultivation. It has been affected by habitat destruction as a result of road building and land clearance for agricultural practices. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' 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.
].
Known 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 References
990- Title
- The Cycad Pages
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/cycad/wlist.html
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
- Year
- 2012
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A website dedicated to the various species of Cycad, with a comprehensive description of all the known species (as of 2012). At present (2015), the site is still running but is no longer being updated
Range
Caribbean - Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico.
Habitat
Grassland, ravines and open forest dominated by species of Pinus and Quercus. Plants occur on steep limestone hills and among limestone rocks[
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.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 1.00 m |
| Self-fertile | No |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in full sun or in light shade[
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.
]. Requires a well drained soil[
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.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required[
434- Title
- Flora of Peru
- Publication
-
- Author
- Macbride. J.F.
- Publisher
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Year
- 1936
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent attempt at a Flora of Peru, though it is clear that many of the plants were imperfectly known at that time and so information on them was sketchy. Available for download from the Internet.
].
Edible Uses
The large fleshy root is hidden in crevices of the jagged rocks, but is dug out by local people and used in the manufacture of starch[
567- Title
- Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 8
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Government Printing Office; Washington.
- Year
- 1905
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Includes an article on the economic plants of Puerto Rico. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. This is ground into a powder and used to make bread etc. It needs to be thoroughly cooked in order to destroy a poisonous principle[
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/
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - remove the fleshy coating and surface sow on damp sand. Germination is best at around 23 - 29°c[
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.
]. Pot up young seedlings into a rich, moist medium, as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on at high temperatures without any check to growth until 2 - 3 leaves have been produced at one time, otherwise they may enter dormancy[
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.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
