Blyde River Canyon - Mpumalanga Province (Part of Blyde Rive Canyon Nature Reserve - Eastern Mpumalanga).
The Three Rondavels are 3 round mountain tops with slightly pointed peaks. (This creates a similar look to the traditional African homesteads called “rondawels”). The walls of the Three Rondavels are quartzite eroded over thousands of years. On these 3 mountaintops a colony of cycads are found with a distinct appearance. The plants in nature are well protected and only a few specimens exist in private cycad collections.
The leaves are light green colour with re-curving at the tips to form a wine glass appearance. The female cones are totally different from any other South African Encephalartos species. When emerging, the distal point of the cones have a purple colour with the remainder of the cone, lime green. The cones can eventually reach 75 cm in length just before shedding its pollen.
The peduncle of the male cones is often extremely long with the cones protruding through the leaf canopy.
This colony of cycads is a different species of Encephalartos but is still not scientifically separated as a new species.
The leaves are light green colour with re-curving at the tips to form a wine glass appearance. The female cones are totally different from any other South African Encephalartos species. When emerging, the distal point of the cones have a purple colour with the remainder of the cone, lime green. The cones can eventually reach 75 cm in length just before shedding its pollen.
The peduncle of the male cones is often extremely long with the cones protruding through the leaf canopy.
This colony of cycads is a different species of Encephalartos but is still not scientifically separated as a new species.
NATURAL HABITAT:
- Blyde River Canyon - Mpumalanga Province (Part of Blyde Rive Canyon Nature Reserve - Eastern Mpumalanga).
LEAVES:
- The leaves are light green colour with re-curving at the tips to form a wine glass appearance.
CONES:
- The female cones are totally different from any other South African Encephalartos species.
- When emerging, the distal point of the cones have a purple colour with the remainder of the cone, lime green.
- The cones can eventually reach 75 cm in length just before shedding its pollen.
- The peduncle of the male cones is often extremely long with the cones protruding through the leaf canopy.
Long (peduncle) of male cone – also note the golden wool in the crown of this plant.
