Encephalartos transvenosus stem tip

This buff-coloured stem tip of Encephalartos transvenosus is densely covered in pale woolly hairs among the spaced leaf bases. Lower down on the sides of the barrel, the older stem parts become dark while moss may take over from the plant’s own hair... casting new light upon the origin of wigs.

A few prickles are to be seen below the lowest properly shaped (though shorter) leaflets on the lowest part of the rachis. These prickles are merely leaflets that did not quite make the grade, the way lowest, smallest leaflets turn out in some Encephalartos species. This feature is one of the cues used in distinguishing among Encephalartos species.

A couple of spiny teeth are present upon both margins of most leaflets in the photo.

The species is also known for the appearance of numerous dormant buds along the base of older stems; suckers that sometimes develop into secondary stems (Coates Palgrave, 2002).