Zamia fischeri
Encyclopedia
Zamia fischeri is a species of cycad
in the Zamiaceae
family. It is oftentimes confused with Zamia vazquezii
. Zamia fischeri is named after Gustav Fischer
, a cycad enthusiast of the nineteenth century.
. Zamia fischeri has a large stem
and cones
compared to its leaf size. The Cataphylls of Zamia fischeri are ovate, 1 to 1.5 centimeters long, and 1.5 to 2 centimeters wide. Zamia fischeri has leafs about 15 to 30 centimeters long; the petioles are 5 to 10 centimeters long, and rachis with 5 to 9 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are papyraceous, tapering toward the base, and are acute apically with margins having several serrations in the outermost half. The larger middle leaflets are 3 to 5 centimeters long and .5 to 1 centimeters wide. Zamia fischeri has tan pollen cones usually ovoid-cylindrical in shape, obtuse towards the apex, 5 to 7 centimeters in length, and 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter, with the peduncle being 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long. The seed cones are greenish-gray to gray, cylindrical to ovoid-cylindrical in shape, acuminate at the apex, 8 to 12 centimeters long and 4 to 7 centimeters in diameter. Zamia fischeri has red seeds, about 1.3 to 1.8 centimeters long and 0.5 to 0.8 centimeters in diameter. Zamia fischeri can be distinguished from Zamia vazquezii
by having smaller leafs (15-30 centimeters), lancelike leaflets, and no prickles on its petiole
s.
plant in the evergreen
forests of central Mexico
, in Oak
and cloud forests at about 600 meters in elevation. It receives about 1500 to 2000 millimeters of rainfall yearly. Temperatures in its habitat fall between 20 and 30 Celsius in summer, and 10 to 20 Celsius in winter. It is presumed to be rare in the wild, due to habitat destruction.
Cycad
Cycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. They usually have pinnate leaves. The individual plants are either all male or all female . Cycads vary in size from having a trunk that is only a few centimeters...
in the Zamiaceae
Zamiaceae
The Zamiaceae are a family of cycads that are superficially palm or fern-like. They are divided into two subfamilies with eight genera and about 150 species in the tropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, Australia and North and South America....
family. It is oftentimes confused with Zamia vazquezii
Zamia vazquezii
Zamia vazquezii is a species of plant in the Zamiaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Donaldson, J.S. 2003. . Downloaded on 24 August 2007....
. Zamia fischeri is named after Gustav Fischer
Gustav Fischer
Gustav Adolf Fischer was a German African explorer.-Biography:He was born at Barmen. In 1876 he accompanied the Denhardt East Africa exploring expedition to Zanzibar, where he settled as a physician, and in the following year explored Wituland and the southern Oromo country...
, a cycad enthusiast of the nineteenth century.
Description
Zamia fischeri has a subglobose shaped, subterranean stem about 8 cm in diameter, and is very similar to Zamia vazqueziiZamia vazquezii
Zamia vazquezii is a species of plant in the Zamiaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Donaldson, J.S. 2003. . Downloaded on 24 August 2007....
. Zamia fischeri has a large stem
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
and cones
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
compared to its leaf size. The Cataphylls of Zamia fischeri are ovate, 1 to 1.5 centimeters long, and 1.5 to 2 centimeters wide. Zamia fischeri has leafs about 15 to 30 centimeters long; the petioles are 5 to 10 centimeters long, and rachis with 5 to 9 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are papyraceous, tapering toward the base, and are acute apically with margins having several serrations in the outermost half. The larger middle leaflets are 3 to 5 centimeters long and .5 to 1 centimeters wide. Zamia fischeri has tan pollen cones usually ovoid-cylindrical in shape, obtuse towards the apex, 5 to 7 centimeters in length, and 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter, with the peduncle being 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long. The seed cones are greenish-gray to gray, cylindrical to ovoid-cylindrical in shape, acuminate at the apex, 8 to 12 centimeters long and 4 to 7 centimeters in diameter. Zamia fischeri has red seeds, about 1.3 to 1.8 centimeters long and 0.5 to 0.8 centimeters in diameter. Zamia fischeri can be distinguished from Zamia vazquezii
Zamia vazquezii
Zamia vazquezii is a species of plant in the Zamiaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Donaldson, J.S. 2003. . Downloaded on 24 August 2007....
by having smaller leafs (15-30 centimeters), lancelike leaflets, and no prickles on its petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
s.
Habitat
It grows as an understoryUnderstory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
plant in the evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
forests of central Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, in Oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and cloud forests at about 600 meters in elevation. It receives about 1500 to 2000 millimeters of rainfall yearly. Temperatures in its habitat fall between 20 and 30 Celsius in summer, and 10 to 20 Celsius in winter. It is presumed to be rare in the wild, due to habitat destruction.