Cycads

Common name: Sago palm (although it is not a palm), Queen sago

Scientific name: Cycas revoluta, Cycas circinalis

Hazard associated: All parts poisonous, and will cause gastrointestinal distress if ingested.

Notes: Seeds of Cycas revoluta

  • Often grown in gardens as a feature plant.
  • Cycads are plants which produce seeds but not flowers. They are not confers but not allied to them
  • Cycads have been used as a food source but only after extensive preparation to remove the toxin BMAA that they contain.
  • The bright red/orange seeds may look attractive to children.
  • Pets and livestock have been known to suffer from eating this plant.

 

 Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycas

Image credits:

1) By Pinus – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21114113
2) By Esculapio – Own work (personal work), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=634772