Cycas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cycas |
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| Leaves and male cone of Cycas revoluta | |
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Cycadaceae
Persoon
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Cycas
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Cycas is a special group of plants. It is the only group known in the Cycadaceae family. There are over 100 different kinds, or species, of Cycas plants.
One of the most famous Cycas plants is often called the Sago Palm. But don't let the name fool you! It's not a true palm. The name Cycas actually comes from an old Greek word, kykas, which means "palm tree." This shows how much they look like palms.
Where Do Cycas Plants Grow?
Cycas plants naturally grow in the Old World. This includes places like eastern and southeastern Asia, eastern Africa, northern Australia, Polynesia, and Micronesia. Many species live near the equator, which is the imaginary line around the middle of the Earth.
For example, the Philippines has 6 different Cycas species. Four of these are endemic, meaning they are found only there. Australia is home to 26 species, and the area around Indo-China has about 30. The Cycas that grows furthest north is found in southern Japan. The one that grows furthest south is in southeast Queensland, Australia.
Living Fossils: Ancient Plants
Cycas plants are often called "living fossils." This is because they look very similar to plants that lived millions of years ago. The oldest fossils that look like modern Cycas plants appeared in the Cainozoic Era. But plants that are similar to Cycas have been found in even older fossils from the Mesozoic Era, which was the time of the dinosaurs!
Scientists have studied the family tree of plants, called phylogenetic studies. These studies show that Cycas plants are not closely related to other types of cycads. In fact, the Cycadaceae family is like a very old branch on the plant family tree. It separated from all other living cycads a very long time ago.
Images for kids
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Cycas sp.
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Bark of Cycas rumphii
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A male cone of Cycas circinalis
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A male cone of Cycas orixensis with unique forked microsporophylls
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Cycas media megasporophylls with nearly-mature seeds on a wild plant in north Queensland, Australia
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Grove of Cycas media in north Queensland
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Cycas platyphylla in north Queensland with new flush of fronds during the rainy season, still with glaucous bloom
