Encephalartos lehmannii, the Karoo cycad

Encephalartos lehmannii is similar to E. princeps, although the distribution ranges of the two species do not overlap: E. lehmannii grows in the Eastern Cape Karoo, E. princeps further east in the same province, near the Kei and the Kubusi rivers in the Cathcart, Stutterheim and Komga region. Thus only specimens in cultivation should produce identification problems. 

The cones of E. lehmannii grow singly on short and thick peduncles (stalks). They are bluish green, with blackish red hairs on the end of the seed scales. The female cone is more than double the thickness of the thin male one. Cycads are dioecious, i.e. the male and female cones always occur on separate plants. Coning of this plant occurs every two years when there had been sufficient rain; otherwise several years may be patiently skipped by these hardy plants. It has been described as the most drought resistant of all South African cycads.

This cycad is easier to grow than some of the other species. It grows slowly, preferably in conditions resembling its habitat of sandstone hills or alkaline soil, temperature extremes and full sun among arid veld scrub. Suckers removed from established plants usually grow readily (Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist; www.plantzafrica.com).