Encephalartos lanatus creamy rachises

Creamy yellow leaf petioles (also the older rachises) of Encephalartos lanatus leaves show the sturdy leaf structures here. A cycad leaf lasts for about two years on the plant. It has to be a robust structure for achieving that.

The proper leaflet shape of lowermost leaflets, not reduced to prickles, is in evidence in the photo. Although still short, the stem top is broadly dome-shaped (Coates Palgrave, 2002).