Sago Palm, Japanese Sago Palm, Japanese Fern Palm
Cycas revoluta · Cycadaceae · 소철
How to spot it
Identified by spine-tipped leaflets, leaf margins rolled back, a shaggy palm-like trunk covered with leaf scars, and the lack of true flowers.
Look
- Leaves
- Odd-pinnately compound leaves; leaflets are linear with margins somewhat rolled back.
- Flowers
- The cones are dioecious and borne at the stem tip; the male cone is 50-60 cm long, with anthers on the back of the scales. In its native range it matures in June-August.
- Fruit
- Seeds are flat, about 4 cm long, with a red seed coat, ripening in October. The dried ripe seeds are called muruja (無漏子).
- Bark
- The trunk is surrounded by leaf scars.
Where it grows
- Native to
- Found in Japan.