THE WESTERN CYCADS 9 



soldiers died from eating the root before the poison had 

 been washed out; but the meal, when properly prepared, 

 makes a fairly palatable cake or pudding. Some species 

 in Eastern Cuba are being used for the manufacture 

 of starch, but Zamia does not grow fast enough to give it 

 much commercial importance. 



Comparatively speaking, this genus lies at our door, 

 since we have typical representatives in Florida. Con- 

 sequently field studies and collections are not difficult; 

 besides, it is so little damaged by transportation that it 

 can be sent by parcel post or express to any part of the 

 United States and arrive^ in good condition for study or 

 for transplanting. Some plants sent to Cape Town, 

 South Africa, survived the journey and are now grow- 

 ing in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Naturally 

 Zamia was the first of the western genera to receive 

 attention. 



MICROCYCAS 



The Cuban genus was named Microcycas from a few 

 small leaves which seemed to resemble the Japanese 

 Cycas, except that they were smaller (Fig. 3). As a 

 matter of fact, only two species in the entire family 

 reach a greater height, and some exceptional individuals 

 have the greatest girth ever recorded for any cycad. 

 There is only one species and not many individuals, 

 so that the genus could very easily become extinct. 

 The best specimens are in the mountains of Pinar 

 del Rio, where they form a narrow patch a few 

 miles wide, not extending much beyond Herradura on 

 the north or Consolacion del Sur on the south, so 

 that Microcycas is the most restricted genus of the 

 f^rnily, 



