Cycas arenicola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cycas arenicola |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cycas
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| Species: |
arenicola
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The Cycas arenicola is a special type of plant called a cycad. Cycads are ancient plants that look a bit like palms or ferns, but they are actually very different. This particular cycad is found only in Australia, specifically in the far northern part of the Northern Territory. It grows in a wild area called Arnhem Land, near the East Alligator River.
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Meet the Sand-Loving Cycad
This unique plant gets its name from Latin words: arena, meaning "sand", and -cola, meaning "dweller". So, Cycas arenicola literally means "sand dweller"! This name makes perfect sense because it loves to grow in sandy soils that come from sandstone. You'll often find it in open areas within Eucalyptus forests.
What Does It Look Like?
The Cycas arenicola has a sturdy stem that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall, and sometimes even taller, reaching 2.5 meters! Its stem is about 15 to 20 centimeters wide.
It has many long, beautiful leaves, usually between 0.9 and 1.6 meters long. Each leaf is made up of 180 to 200 smaller leaflets. The top of the leaves is a shiny, bright green, while the underside has soft, brown hairs. The leaflets point forward at an angle, but they don't overlap. The stem of the leaf, called the petiole, is also covered in brown hairs and has spines, making it a bit prickly.
How Does It Reproduce?
Like all cycads, the Cycas arenicola produces cones instead of flowers to make seeds.
- Female cones: These cones open up and have special parts called sporophylls, which are about 15 to 20 centimeters long. They are grey with orange hairs and each can hold 4 to 6 ovules (which become seeds). When the seeds are ripe, they have a bright orange outer layer called a sarcotesta.
- Male cones: These cones are shaped like a spindle, about 25 centimeters long and 9 centimeters wide.
Is It Safe from Danger?
The Cycas arenicola was first officially described in 1993. Even though it's a unique plant, experts don't think it's in much danger right now. This is because it grows in a very remote part of Australia, on land that belongs to Aboriginal people. This helps protect it from many threats.
However, this plant needs very dry weather that changes a lot with the seasons. It can get sick with something called "crown rot" if conditions aren't right.
