Encephalartos villosus female cone

The female cone of Encephalartos villosus develops from a green colour to deep yellow or apricot. The geometric arrangement of the attractively shaped scales in their spiralling rows gives this cone the likeness of an exceptional work of abstract art. It may get to 50 cm long and 25 cm in diameter.

The seeds are dark red that combines with the cone’s golden yellow to compete with the flowering plants for beauty. Male cones are lemon yellow in colour, longer and narrower than the seed cones. They exude a pungent smell when mature, i.e. when they are pollen producing (www.bihrmann.com; www.plantzafrica.com).