Encephalartos afer after a dry season

This Encephalartos afer plant, in Afrikaans sometimes called the boesmansbroodboom (San bread tree), grows in Kirstenbosch. At the time of the photo it lacked new growth. That was at the end of the summer season, although a group of later grown leaves stand isolated in the centre of its crown. These upper leaves are already low in hairiness, the leaf rachis and petiole colour yellower than usually seen.

E. afer bears single, greenish yellow cones on both male and female plants. Only when a fruit or pollen cone is present the plant’s sex will be disclosed to the casual observer (Hugo, 2014; Wikipedia).