Encephalartos longifolius female cone

This Encephalartos longifolius stem-tip presents a female cone as well as the smooth yellow leaf petioles around the crown. The visible lowest leaflets have normal shape here, while usually not more than one or two of them appear as prickles. Some yellow-brown colouring is normally seen at the leaf base collars, not much in evidence here.

The leaflet tips are rounded in the photo and little marginal toothing to be seen (on a few lower margins). The typical leaflet twist into an incubous orientation is evident. This means that when the leaf is seen from the top while it is held horizontally, only the upper margins of the leaflets will be visible.

On the stem top the small brown cataphylls among the leaf bases have narrowly pointed tips without visible woolliness (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Hugo, 2014).