Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi

Lehm. (1834)

Common names

Cycad, breadtree, kafferbroodboom (Palmer and Pitman 1972), white-haired cycad.

Taxonomic notes

No data as of 2026-01-14.

Description

"The stout trunk, the top covered with brown wool, and the open and often flattish crown, help to identify this species ... The straight or curved leaves, yellowish-green when mature, have fairly narrow leaflets, the middle ones up to about 1/4 inch or just over, (7 mm) in width. A diagnostic feature, according to Dr Dyer, is the length of the middle leaflets, about 4 to 6 1/2 inches (roughly 10-17 cm) long, and about 7 mm broad, 7-9 nerved on the undersurface. The cones are woolly, grey or brown, and 3 or more - on some male plants up to 10 - are borne together, and these help to distinguish the species from E. cycadifolius with which it is often confused. The latter, however, is a shorter species with a stem rarely more than 2 feet (0.6 m) tall, cones borne singly, and a very limited distribution in the Bedford and Cradock mountains. The seeds of Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi are yellow, sometimes with an orange tinge" (Palmer and Pitman 1972).

Distribution and Ecology

South Africa: "mountains and rocky hills from the East London and Cathcart districts of the eastern Cape to the Kokstad district. Several specimens may be seen close to Cathcart alongside the road to the Hogsback" (Palmer and Pitman 1972).

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2026-01-14.

Ethnobotany

No data as of 2026-01-14.

Observations

No data as of 2026-01-14.

Remarks

"The species was named after Frederick William, King of Prussia" (Palmer and Pitman 1972).

Citations

Lehmann, J. G. 1834. Allgemeine Gartenzeitung 2(11), p. 84p. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2026.01.14.

See also

Africa Cycads provides good photos, distribution maps and descriptions for all African cycads, including Encephalartos.

The World List of Cycads.