Cycas chamaoensis
Encyclopedia
Cycas chamaoensis is named after the only known habitat of this species, on and near Khao Chamao mountain in Khao Chamao District, Thailand
. Stems are arborescent
, either erect or decumbent. Leaves numerous, exceeding 60 per crown, 1.2-2.5 meters in length, ending in terminal spine. Petiole
30–60 cm, glabrous and partially spiny. Leaflets in 85-155 pairs, and lanceolate, glabrous and angled forward at 60-70 degrees.
Female cones closed type, sporophyll
s 13–18 cm long with yellow to gray tomentose
. 2-4 ovules per sporophyll. Lamina
is long, almost circular, with numerous lateral spines. Sarcotesta
3 mm thick, and yellow in color, with smooth sclerotesta
. Male cones solitary and erect, spindle shaped to narrow ovoid, 50–60 cm long, 12–13 cm in diameter, with orange color. Prominent apical spine present.
, on Mount Khao Chamao northeast of Klaeng and southeast of Bangkok
. This cycad grows from bare granite
outcroppings, in full sun. It is closely related to Cycas pectinata
. The conservation status is insecure, as local inhabitants treasure the plant for gardening purposes and the plant's range is restricted to only 1 mountain.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Stems are arborescent
Arborescent
Arborescent is a term used by the French thinkers Deleuze and Guattari to characterize thinking marked by insistence on totalizing principles, binarism and dualism...
, either erect or decumbent. Leaves numerous, exceeding 60 per crown, 1.2-2.5 meters in length, ending in terminal spine. Petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
30–60 cm, glabrous and partially spiny. Leaflets in 85-155 pairs, and lanceolate, glabrous and angled forward at 60-70 degrees.
Female cones closed type, sporophyll
Sporophyll
A sporophyll is a leaf that bears sporangia. Both microphylls and megaphylls can be sporophylls. In heterosporous plants, sporophylls bear either megasporangia , or microsporangia...
s 13–18 cm long with yellow to gray tomentose
Tomentose
Tomentose is a term used to describe plant hairs that are flattened and matted, forming a woolly coating known as tomentum. Often the hairs are silver or gray-colored...
. 2-4 ovules per sporophyll. Lamina
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
is long, almost circular, with numerous lateral spines. Sarcotesta
Sarcotesta
The sarcotesta is the outermost fleshy covering of Cycad seeds. Below this layer is usually the sclerotesta, the coating that makes direct contact with the cycad seed. In some species, however, there is an intermediate layer that is thought to be used in water retention and storage....
3 mm thick, and yellow in color, with smooth sclerotesta
Sclerotesta
Sclerotesta is the innermost fleshy coating of cycad seeds, usually located directly below the Sarcotesta....
. Male cones solitary and erect, spindle shaped to narrow ovoid, 50–60 cm long, 12–13 cm in diameter, with orange color. Prominent apical spine present.
Habitat
This cycad is native to eastern central ThailandCentral Thailand
Central Thailand is a region of Thailand, covering the broad alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya River. It is separated from North-East Thailand by the Phetchabun mountain range, and another mountain range separates it from Myanmar to the west. In the north it gently changes into the more hilly...
, on Mount Khao Chamao northeast of Klaeng and southeast of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. This cycad grows from bare granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
outcroppings, in full sun. It is closely related to Cycas pectinata
Cycas pectinata
Cycas pectinata is found in north eastern part of India. It is the 4th Cycas discovered. It grows 3-40 feet tall and has very large ovoid male cones....
. The conservation status is insecure, as local inhabitants treasure the plant for gardening purposes and the plant's range is restricted to only 1 mountain.