CIDP

This was listed as a Sago Palm on a tour we took in PR.I dont think the picture shows it as good as seeing it in person.I walked up to it and the fronds are the same as my sago palms, and it was just starting to put out a new flush of 8 to 10 fronds,I dont think you can see them in the picture.I have a friend in Griffen,GA. growing a CIDP,the fronds have a totally diffrent feel and texture.When I first saw It I also thought it was a CIDP.In person you could tell it's not a CIDP.

My vote is Encephalartos longifolius.

E latifrons looks similar but it is unlikely to be it because of its extremely rare, and being close to extinct in the wild.

Mature Macrozamia moorei also have a similar appearance to CIDP.

As for age, I'd guess around 120-150 yrs.

x

It looks a lot like a CIDP but the leaves on this one are shorter and arch more and the trunk is a little different. Not sure what cycad it is but it sure looks old!

I figured it was older than that.I know some cycads live for hundreds of years.This tree was planted at the end of the drive, near the road of what they said was one of the oldest plantation houses on the island. I forget how old they said the house was.Is there any cycads native to PR?Not to change the subject,when we was traveling from the Atlantic side of the island to the caribbean side,I saw the biggest bamboo I have ever seen.They looked like bamboo on steriods,and huge Tree ferns,some even growing in full sun.I brought back some seeds from a tree there that kinda looked like a mimosa tree,but it had purple puff ball looking flowers.All the ones around here have pink flowers.Thanks X for the info.I will look up the ones you said it might be.What's the best website for info. on the many diffrent kinds of cycads?

It could very well be older, or younger if growing conditions are ideal. Figure about 2-3 inches of new trunk height per flush once the caudex achieves adequate width; if it only flushed once a year - and the trunk looks to be about 15-20 ft, thats a foot of trunk every 5-6 years, which is how I got around 120 +/-. But if growing conditions are perfect and there are multiple flushes a year then it could be more like 50-60 years old.

As for Cycad websites, there are some nice articles at Dave's Garden. Some of the online vendors have decent info too, Jungle Music and Jurassic Garden come to mind.

x

Im sorry i glanced at it and now the more i look at it the leaves fronds are more curve and skinnier...also not the trunk at all of a CIDP either. where did you say the location of this is? that would matter a lot to as of how old it is, and yes that is a huge very very old cycad! very beautiful. -Jusitn

That's a very well known specimen, in Durban Gardens, South Africa is my guess.. Encephalartos woodii

Justin that picture was taken in Puerto Rico.Somewhere between Old San Juan and Ponce.I'm not sure what the name of the little town was we had just passed.It was out in the jungle.There was no other houses around for miles,we was about 2 hours away from Old San Juan.I remember it was 95F,it seemed like everyday.We was going to Ponce,on the other side of the island.