Stangeria eriopus female cone

The stalked brown scales covering the female (or seed) cone of Stangeria eriopus are large with obtusely pointed tips. The female cone is broader than the male one, cylindrical or ovoid rather than cone-shaped in the photo.

Here the scales still cover the bright red seeds that are extremely poisonous, but nevertheless form part of local traditional healing practices… experimentation involving them should be regarded as destructive and avoided!

One female cone may produce up to 100 seeds (Van Wyk, et al, 1997; Van Wyk and Gericke, 2000; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Wikipedia; www.pacsoa.org.au).