Zamia loddigesii

Miq.

Bulletproof cycad

ZamiaceaeShootsPotential hazards — see below

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(c) Annamaria Savarino, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Annamaria Savarino

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(c) Tereso Hernández Morales, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tereso Hernández Morales

What to Eat

Edible parts: Stem starch, Caution

All parts of this plant are potentially toxic and should not be eaten unless effective measures are taken to remove the toxins. An edible starch can be obtained from the stems. This can be ground into a powder and used in making bread etc. It needs to be thoroughly cooked in order to destroy a poisonous principle.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. It grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level. It is best in a sunny position in a well-drained soil. It grows in low dry deciduous forests.

Asia, Australia, Belize, Central America, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico*, North America, SE Asia,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bahamas, Bhutan, Belize, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, El Salvador, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, United States, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A cycad. It has an underground stem 12 cm across. There are 2-6 erect or curved backwards leaves. These can be up to 1.5 m long. The leaf stalks have prickles.

How to Grow

Plants can be grown from fresh seed. The fleshy coat is removed and the seeds are sown in damp sand.

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.

Other Uses

A starch obtained from the stems can be used as a laundry starch.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Zamia loddigesii, also known as teocinte, is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is found in Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz states in Mexico. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Names & Synonyms

Sikas anti peluru, Sikas mini

References (2)

Fern, K., 2012, Tropical Species Database http://theferns.info/tropical/
Sukarya, D. G., (Ed.) 2013, 3,500 Plant Species of the Botanic Gardens of Indonesia. LIPI p 833