Common Name:

General Information

Zamia roezlii is a slow-growing, evergreen, palm-like plant with an erect to decumbent main stem that can eventually be around 2 - 3 metres tall (as much as 6.5 metres long when decumbent) and 15 - 30cm in diameter; this is topped by a crown of 10 - 16 (exceptionally to 45), erect to spreading large leaves each around 250 - 300cm long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. Considered to be a delicacy, sometimes piles of the cones can be seen by the native huts, waiting to be processed[]
Zamia roezlii is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[].

Known Hazards

We have no specific information for this species, but most if not all members of this genus are believed to contain toxins. The two main toxic compounds that have been identified are cycasin and macrozamin. When ingested in sufficient quantities, these compounds are extremely poisonous to humans and many other animals, and have been shown to cause liver damage and cancer. Cycasin and macrozamin have a cumulative effect upon the body and are suspected of causing neurological disorders when ingested in small amounts over long periods of time.
There is a long history of human use of this genus as a starch-rich food, but it should be noted that the plants needed to be treated in various ways in order to remove any toxic principles. Caution should be exercised even with properly prepared foods, since even then regular consumption may lead to severe health problems and death. Since many of these species are becoming increasingly rare in the wild, this is probably a food best left to times of food shortage when other, better foods, are not available[, ].

Botanical References

Range

Northwestern S. America - Ecuador, Colombia

Habitat

Equatorial forests and swampy mangrove of the Pacific coastal lowlands. Plants are usually not far above sea level. Some plants may be flooded by high tides. The soils have been described as brackish mud[]

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Zamia roezlii is native to the moist tropical lowlands.
Zamia roezlii is easy to grow. It looks best when given some protection from the sun and will not adjust to heavy soil in cultivation as it does in habitat[].
The habitat of this cycad is usually in close proximity to the seashore, with many of the plants growing in swamps along the coastline just above the mangrove belt. The bases of zamias growing in such swampy areas are subjected to inundation by brackish water during the highest tides and must therefore be quite salt tolerant[]. The largest specimens, too heavy to be supported by their roots in the soft muck, often fall over and can be found decumbent, rooting adventitiously along their stems. These ancient plants continue growing, the crown once again becoming erect and luxuriant[].
Zamia roezlii is one of the largest and most majestic of the species of the genus. At a distance, this cycad is easily mistaken for a palm, which it resembles in both size and habit[].
Cycad species can usually be transplanted easily even when quite large. The best time for moving them is just before the beginning of a new growing season, the roots being trimmed if they are damaged and perhaps some leaves being removed. New roots should develop quickly as the season progresses[].
Species in this genus form structures known as coralloid roots. These roots branch off from the taproot or secondary roots and are distinctive in that they grow laterally or upward, forming a nodular mass at the apex. These coralloid roots occur slightly below or slightly above the soil surface and generally contain cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. These are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen and make it available as a nutrient to the plant. The ability to extract this important nutrient from the air explains how many cycad species are able to survive on almost sterile soils[].
A dioecious species, with individual plants producing either all male or all female cones. Therefore both male and female forms of the plant need to be grown if seed is required[]. On very rare occasions, usually when a plant has been under severe stress, it can change sex and produce either all female or all male cones[].

Edible Uses

The local indigenous people use the seed as food and consider it a delicacy. A kind of flour is made from the endosperm after it has been ground, soaked and washed in order to remove the toxic substances, and then dried[, ]. The somewhat cylindrical seed is 20 - 32mm long and 10 - 13mm in diameter[]

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[]. 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[].
Growing the species from seed can at times be frustrating as there is usually a considerable loss of seedlings through damping-off. Collecting seed before it is completely ripe may be the cause. Because of this fungal problem, great care must be taken at the early seedling stage to keep plants from staying too wet[]

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?