The general habit and technical characters approach 
those of Encephalartos .Hildebrandtii of Zanzibar, for 
copious photographic illustrations of which I am indebted 
to Sir John Kirk, H.M. Political Agent. This species 1s, 
however, abundantly distinguished by the female cone, the 
scales of which terminate in a quadrangular-conic apex. 
Plants of both sexes have repeatedly produced cones at 
Kew. Those figured in the accompanying Plate, which, 
although small, are sufficiently characteristic, were pro- 
duced in the summer of 1881. 
Descr. Stem rarely developed in imported and cultivated 
specimens, probably always short, closely covered with 
persistent imbricated leaf-bases clothed with pale brown 
cottony tomentum. Leaves erect, then spreading, about 
five feet long, a foot to eighteen inches wide towards the 
apex, bright green; petiole and rachis subcylindric, clothed 
at first with a deciduous fluffy tomentum ; leaflets sixty to 
ninety pairs, alternate or opposite, rather close-set, about 
three-quarters of an inch wide, linear-lanceolate, sometimes 
subfalecate, abruptly narrowed at the base, apex pungent, 
margin toothed on either side especially towards the apex; 
teeth erect, more or less scattered, pungent; lower leaflets 
diminishing in length downwards, passing gradually into 
digitate and ultimately simple spines extending to base 
of petiole. Cones pedunculate. Male cone pale yellow, 
narrowly cylindric, one to two feet or more long, two and 
a half to three inches wide; scales spreading, oblong- 
quadrate to deltoid, apex obliquely deflexed, subpeltate 
triangular, three-quarters to an inch wide, inferior margin 
more or less crenate-denticulate. Female cone greenish- 
orange to apricot-coloured, ovoid-cylindric, as much as 4 
foot and a half long by seven inches wide; scales long- 
stalked, apex obliquely deflexed, peltate, subquadrangular, 
about an inch and a half across lower margin, erose-dentate 
at the middle. Seeds ovoid, somewhat angular, ultimately 
protruded between the separating scales of the mature 
cone, about one inch and a quarter long, testa crimson.— 
WT. 7... 
Fig. 1, Portion of rachis with two leafl l 
ae achis ets; 2, scale of mal e; 3, scale of femate 
cone with the two seeds attached :—all eateral ake ee 
