''Zamia'' is a genus of

cycad Cycads are seed plants that typically have a stout and woody (ligneous) trunk (botany), trunk with a crown (botany), crown of large, hard, stiff, evergreen and (usually) pinnate leaves. The species are dioecious, that is, individual plants o ...

of the family

Zamiaceae The Zamiaceae are a family of cycads that are superficially palm or fern-like. They are divided into two subfamilies with eight genera and about 150 species in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Australia and North and South America. ...

, native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

(in Georgia and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

) throughout the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

as far south as

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The genus is considered to be the most ecologically and morphologically diverse cycads, and is estimated to have originated about 68.3 million years ago.

Description

The genus comprises

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s with aerial or subterranean circular stems, often superficially resembling palms. They produce spirally arranged, pinnate

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

which are pubescent, at least when young, having branched and simple, transparent and coloured hairs. The articulated leaflets lack a midrib, and are broad with subparallel dichotomous venation. Lower leaflets are not reduced to spines, though the petioles often have prickles. The emerging leaves of many ''Zamia'' species are striking, some emerging with a reddish or bronze cast ('' Z. roeslii'' being an example). '' Zamia picta'' is even more distinctive, being the only truly variegated cycad (having whitish/yellow speckles on the leaves).

Reproduction

''Zamia'' sporophylls are born in vertical rows in cones, and the megasporophyll apices are faceted or flattened, not spinose. The fleshy seeds are subglobular to oblong or ellipsoidal, and are red, orange, yellow or rarely white. The endosperm is

haploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...

, derived from the female

gametophyte A gametophyte () is one of the two alternation of generations, alternating multicellular organism, multicellular phases in the life cycles of plants and algae. It is a haploid multicellular organism that develops from a haploid spore that has on ...

. The embryo is straight, with two

cotyledon A cotyledon (; ; ; , gen. (), ) is a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant, and is defined as "the embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants, one or more of which are the first to appear from a germinating seed." The numb ...

s that are usually united at the tips and a very long, spirally twisted suspensor. The sperm of members from the genus are large, as is typical of cycads, and ''Z. roezlii'' is an example; its sperm are approximately 0.4 mm long and can be seen by the unaided eye.

Preferred habitat

All the species of ''Zamia'' produce leafy crowns of foliage that make them choice garden specimens and most varieties branch heavily in age to produce handsome clumps. With a few exceptions, most ''Zamia'' species are found in warm, humid, tropical rainforest habitats, growing in the forest understory. However, many species are still fairly adaptable, performing quite well in cultivation, especially in subtropical areas. All species need good drainage and protection from the cold.

Ecology

At least one species, ''Z. pseudoparasitica'', grows as an

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

in the branches of trees.

Species

Accepted species: # ''

Zamia acuminata ''Zamia acuminata'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae which is threatened by habitat loss. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, Repú ...

'' Oerst.ex Dyer -

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

# '' Zamia amazonum'' D.W.Stev. -

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

# '' Zamia amplifolia'' Hort.Bull ex Mast. - Colombia # '' Zamia angustifolia''

Jacq. Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin (16 February 172726 October 1817) was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany. Biography Born in Leiden in the Netherlands, he studied medicine at Leiden University, then moved first to Par ...

The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

# '' Zamia boliviana'' (Brongn.) A.DC. -

, Brazil (

Mato Grosso Mato Grosso ( – lit. "Thick Bush") is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest by area, located in the Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible for 1.9% of the Brazilian GDP. Neighboring ...

) # '' Zamia chigua'' Seem. - Colombia # ''

Zamia cremnophila ''Zamia cremnophila'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to the state of Tabasco in Mexico, between Teapa Teapa Municipality is a municipality in Tabasco in south-eastern Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl words ...

'' Vovides, Schutzman & Dehgan - Tabasco,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

# '' Zamia cunaria'' Dressler & D.W.Stev. - Panama # '' Zamia decumbens'' Calonje, Meerman, M.P. Griff. & Hoese -

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

# '' Zamia disodon'' D.W.Stev. & Sabato - Colombia # ''

Zamia dressleri ''Zamia dressleri'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the ...

'' D.W.Stev. - Panama # '' Zamia elegantissima'' Schutzman, Vovides & R.S.Adams - Panama # ''

Zamia encephalartoides ''Zamia encephalartoides'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is Endemism, endemic to Colombia. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is found in only two locations in Santander Province, Colombia, which are near the Chicamocha Rive ...

'' D.W. Stev. - Colombia # '' Zamia erosa'' O.F.Cook & G.N.Collins - Cuba,

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

# '' Zamia fairchildiana'' L.D.Gómez - Panama, Costa Rica # ''

Zamia fischeri ''Zamia fischeri'' is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Mexico. It is often confused with '' Zamia vazquezii''. ''Zamia fischeri'' is named after Gustav Fischer, a cycad enthusiast of the nineteenth century. Descript ...

'' Miq. ex Lem. - Mexico (

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí), is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and i ...

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

, Hidalgo,

Querétaro Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi language, Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. I ...

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...

) # '' Zamia furfuracea'' L.f. - cardboard palm - Mexico (Veracruz) # ''

Zamia gentryi ''Zamia gentryi'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is Endemism, endemic to Ecuador. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is found in two locations of Carchi Province and Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador, which are located near Alto T ...

'' Dodson Ecuador # '' Zamia gomeziana'' R.H.Acuña - Costa Rica # '' Zamia grijalvensis'' Pérez-Farr., Vovides & Mart.-Camilo - Mexico (Chiapas) # '' Zamia hamannii'' A.S.Taylor, J.L.Haynes & Holzman - Panama # '' Zamia herrerae'' Calderón & Standl. - Mexico (Chiapas),

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

, Nicaragua,

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

# '' Zamia huilensis'' Calonje, H.E.Esquivel & D.W.Stev. Colombia # '' Zamia hymenophyllidia'' D.W.Stev. - Colombia, Peru # '' Zamia imperialis'' A.S.Taylor, J.L.Haynes & Holzman - Panama # '' Zamia incognita'' A.Lindstr. & Idárraga - Colombia # '' Zamia inermis'' Vovides, J.D.Rees & Vázq.Torres - Mexico (Veracruz) # ''

Zamia integrifolia ''Zamia integrifolia'', also known as coontie palm is a small, tough, woody cycad native to the southeastern United States (in Florida and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia), the Bahamas, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands. Description ''Zamia integrifo ...

'' L.f. - coontie palm/Florida arrowroot -

(

, Georgia), Bahamas,

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

, Cuba, Puerto Rico # '' Zamia ipetiensis'' D.W.Stev. - Panama # ''

Zamia katzeriana ''Zamia'' is a genus of cycad of the family Zamiaceae, native to North America from the United States (in Georgia and Florida) throughout the West Indies, Central America, and South America as far south as Bolivia. The genus is considered to be ...

'' (Regel) E.Rettig - Mexico # '' Zamia lacandona'' Schutzman & Vovides - Mexico (Chiapas) # '' Zamia lecointei'' Ducke - Brazil (

Pará Pará is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian state) ...

), Venezuela, Colombia, Peru # '' Zamia lindenii'' Regel ex André - Peru, Ecuador # '' Zamia lindleyi'' Warsz. ex A.Dietr. - Panama # '' Zamia loddigesii'' Miq. Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico (

Campeche Campeche (; yua, Kaampech ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Campeche), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by ...

, Chiapas, Veracruz,

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

, Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Quintana Roo, Yucatán # ''

Zamia lucayana ''Zamia lucayana'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to the Bahamas, where it occurs on southeastern Long Island near Clarence Town and Turtle Cove. It is endangered by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also ter ...

'' Britton - Bahamas # '' Zamia macrochiera'' D.W.Stev. - Peru # '' Zamia manicata'' Linden ex Regel - Panama, Colombia # '' Zamia meermanii'' Calonje - Belize # '' Zamia melanorrhachis'' D.W.Stev. - Colombia # ''

Zamia montana ''Zamia montana'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is Endemism, endemic to Antioquia Department, Colombia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. ''Zamia montana'' is extremely rare and is unknown ...

'' A.Braun - Colombia # '' Zamia monticola'' Chamb. - Guatemala # '' Zamia muricata'' Willd. - Colombia, Venezuela # '' Zamia nana'' A.Lindstr., Calonje, D.W.Stev. & A.S.Taylor Panama # '' Zamia nesophila'' A.S.Taylor, J.L.Haynes & Holzman - Panama # '' Zamia neurophyllidia'' D.W.Stev. - Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica # '' Zamia obliqua'' A.Braun - Colombia # '' Zamia onan-reyesii'' C.Nelson & Sandoval - Honduras # '' Zamia oreillyi'' C.Nelson - Honduras # '' Zamia paucijuga'' Wieland - Mexico ( Guerrero,

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...

, Colima,

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

, Nayarit, Oaxaca) # '' Zamia poeppigiana'' Mart. & Eichler - Bolivia, Brazil (

Acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

) # ''

Zamia portoricensis ''Zamia portoricensis'', the marunguey, is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Susua State Forest region of western Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonweal ...

'' Urb. - Puerto Rico # ''

Zamia prasina ''Zamia prasina'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is native to Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Chiapas in Mexico and Guatemala and Belize. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is ...

'' W.Bull - Belize, Mexico (Tabasco, Yucatán) # '' Zamia pseudomonticola'' L.D.Gómez - Panama, Costa Rica # ''

Zamia pseudoparasitica ''Zamia pseudoparasitica'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests on the Atlantic side of the isthmus. It is threatened by habitat loss. ''Zam ...

'' Yates - Panama # ''

Zamia pumila ''Zamia'' is a genus of cycad of the family Zamiaceae, native to North America from the United States (in Georgia and Florida) throughout the West Indies, Central America, and South America as far south as Bolivia. The genus is considered to be ...

'' L. - guáyara / Dominican zamia -

Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...

(

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

), possibly Cuba; possibly extirpated in Puerto Rico and

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

# '' Zamia purpurea'' Vovides, J.D.Rees & Vázq.Torres - Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca) # ''

Zamia pygmaea ''Zamia pygmaea'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae found only in Cuba. It is the smallest living cycad. It is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List based on its limited distribution, severely fragmented habitat, and ...

'' Sims - Cuba # '' Zamia pyrophylla'' Calonje, D.W.Stev. & A.Lindstr. - Colombia # '' Zamia restrepoi'' (D.W.Stev.) A.Lindstr. - Colombia # ''

Zamia roezlii ''Zamia roezlii'' is a species of cycad, a palm-like pachycaulous plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is found in Colombia (Choco, Nariño, Valle del Cauca, and Amazonas departments) and the Pacific coast of Ecuador. It is named for the Czech bot ...

'' Regel ex Linden - Colombia, Ecuador # '' Zamia sandovalii'' C.Nelson - Honduras # '' Zamia skinneri'' Warsz. ex A.Dietr. - Panama # '' Zamia soconuscensis'' Schutzman, Vovides & Dehgan - Mexico (Chiapas) # '' Zamia spartea'' A.DC. in A.P.de Candolle - Mexico (Oaxaca) # '' Zamia standleyi'' Schutzman - Guatemala, Honduras # '' Zamia stevensonii'' A.S.Taylor & Holzman Panama # '' Zamia stricta'' Miq. - Cuba # '' Zamia tolimensis'' Calonje, H.E.Esquivel & D.W.Stev - Colombia # '' Zamia tuerckheimii'' Donn.Sm. - Guatemala # '' Zamia ulei'' Dammer - Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil # '' Zamia urep'' B.Walln. - Peru # ''

Zamia variegata ''Zamia variegata'' is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is native to Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. It grows in forests. It is threatened by habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habit ...

'' Warsz. - Mexico (Chiapas), Belize, Guatemala # '' Zamia vazquezii'' D.W.Stev., Sabato & De Luca - Mexico (Veracruz) # '' Zamia verschaffeltii'' Miq. - Mexico (Veracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas) # '' Zamia wallisii'' H.J.Veitch - Colombia

References

External links

The Cycad Pages: Genus ''Zamia''