About the tree |
Cycas is said to be a living fossil because cycads are old - both in the life of the species and in the life-span of individual specimens. This species of cycad is known in the wild only from southern India. Queen Sago resembles a palm tree with its large bright green glossy feather like leaves arranged in a rosette that crowns a single trunk. New leaves are light green and contrast dramatically with the older foliage.
Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants and so dioecious. Male cone has a pungent and disgusting odour which will keep most pests away. Traditionally it was used to keep pest away in fields.
Kerala government records this species as endangered.
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