42 THE LIVING CYCADS 



Only two genera, Stangeria and Encephalartos, occur 

 in Africa, both of them strictly African and confined to 

 the southeastern part of the continent. A week was 

 well spent at Durban in gaining familiarity with Stangeria 

 and the various species of Encephalartos, since at that 

 time the Durban garden had the largest collection of 

 Encephalartos in the world. Two of the species have 

 found great favor as decorative plants, and beautiful 

 specimens adorned the lawns throughout the city. In 

 any town of Southeastern Africa the lawns are likely to 

 indicate what cycads are to be found in the vicinity, for 

 all the species find favor, on account of either their 

 beauty or their pecuHarity. 



The first field work was done in Zululand. Starting 

 with a Zulu guide from Mtunzini, about a hundred miles 

 north of Durban, a few hours' tramp brought us into 

 the midst of the cycads. 



STANGERIA 



Stangeria paradoxa is abundant in Zululand (Fig. 1 7) . 

 It is the most fernlike of all the cycads; in fact it was 

 described originally as a fern, and the mistake was not 

 corrected until the cones were discovered. The genus 

 was named in honor of Mr. Stanger; the specific name 

 was given because the plant looks like a fern but is 

 really something very different. 



The stem is entirely subterranean, and there are 

 usually only one or two, sometimes three or four, leaves. 

 The variation in the leaves has led some to suggest that 

 there may be more than one species. That its general 

 habit, as it appears in the field, is extremely variable is 

 beyond question; and that under cultivation in con- 



