Zamia fischeri
| Zamia fischeri | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Cycadophyta |
| Class: | Cycadopsida |
| Order: | Cycadales |
| Family: | Zamiaceae |
| Genus: | Zamia |
| Species: | Z. fischeri |
| Binomial name | |
| Zamia fischeri Miq. | |
Zamia fischeri is a species of cycad in the Zamiaceae family. It is often confused with Zamia vazquezii. Zamia fischeri is named after Gustav Fischer, a cycad enthusiast of the nineteenth century.
Description
Zamia fischeri has a subglobose shaped, subterranean stem about 8 cm in diameter, and is very similar to Zamia vazquezii. Zamia fischeri has a large stem and cones compared to its leaf size. The Cataphylls of Zamia fischeri are ovate, 1 to 1.5 centimeters long, and 1.5 to 2 centimeters wide. Zamia fischeri has leafs about 15 to 30 centimeters long; the petioles are 5 to 10 centimeters long, and rachis with 5 to 9 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are papyraceous, tapering toward the base, and are acute apically with margins having several serrations in the outermost half. The larger middle leaflets are 3 to 5 centimeters long and .5 to 1 centimeters wide. Zamia fischeri has tan pollen cones usually ovoid-cylindrical in shape, obtuse towards the apex, 5 to 7 centimeters in length, and 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter, with the peduncle being 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long. The seed cones are greenish-gray to gray, cylindrical to ovoid-cylindrical in shape, acuminate at the apex, 8 to 12 centimeters long and 4 to 7 centimeters in diameter. Zamia fischeri has red seeds, about 1.3 to 1.8 centimeters long and 0.5 to 0.8 centimeters in diameter. Zamia fischeri can be distinguished from Zamia vazquezii by having smaller leafs (15-30 centimeters), lancelike leaflets, and no prickles on its petioles.
Habitat
It grows as an understory plant in the evergreen forests of central Mexico, in Oak and cloud forests at about 600 meters in elevation. It receives about 1500 to 2000 millimeters of rainfall yearly. Temperatures in its habitat fall between 20 and 30 Celsius in summer, and 10 to 20 Celsius in winter. It is presumed to be rare in the wild, due to habitat destruction.
Cultivation
Zamia fischeri is rare in cultivation. It has been collected from the wild only a few times before.
References
- Donaldson, J.S. 2003. Zamia fischeri. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 August 2007.
- K.D. Hill & D.W. Stevenson. World list of Cycads Zamia fischeri
- Extract from "The Cycads" by Loran M. Whitelock Zamia fischeri