cycads
Ancient cone-bearing plants
Cycads are ancient seed plants with stout trunks and large, stiff, palm-like fronds.
Though they resemble palms or ferns, they're gymnosperms—more closely related to conifers.
Cycads dominated the landscape during the age of dinosaurs and are sometimes called "living fossils." Most species are now endangered: The cycad collection at the botanical garden includes several rare species.
Seed plants lacking ovaries
- dioeciousHaving separate male, female organisms
- seed-bearingProducing plant embryos
- pollinationFlower reproductive transfer
- microsporesSmall spores yielding male gametophytes
cyanobacteria · nitrogen fixation · toxicity · slow-growing · evergreen · perennial · sperm cells · flagellated
Preserved ancient organism traces
- dinosaursExtinct prehistoric reptiles
- paleobotanyStudy of ancient flora
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
- living fossilOrganism unchanged since prehistory
ancient · primitive · relict · cretaceous · petrified · ancestral · primeval
Divided leaf blades
- conesTapering geometric solids
- pinnateHaving paired lateral parts
- trunkMain stem or storage
- crownSovereign's ornamental headpiece
leaflets · pith · armor · scales · woolly · rosette · columnar · unbranched
Ornamental cycad houseplant
- ornamentalFor beauty, not function
- botanical gardenCultivated collection of labeled flora
- landscapingModifying outdoor areas aesthetically
- greenhouseClimate-controlled plant enclosure
collectors · nursery · cultivated · tropical garden · focal point · potted · slow growth · hardy
Preventing waste or loss
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
- protectionGuarding against harm
vulnerable · critically endangered · overharvesting · illegal trade · sanctuary · preservation · survival · CITES
gymnosperms
Seed plants lacking ovaries
- dioeciousHaving separate male, female organisms
- seed-bearingProducing plant embryos
- pollinationFlower reproductive transfer
microspores · cyanobacteria · nitrogen fixation · toxicity · slow-growing · evergreen · perennial · sperm cells · flagellated · symbiosis
fossils
Preserved ancient organism traces
- dinosaursExtinct prehistoric reptiles
- paleobotanyStudy of ancient flora
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
living fossil · ancient · primitive · relict · cretaceous · petrified · ancestral · primeval
fronds
Divided leaf blades
crown · leaflets · pith · armor · scales · woolly · rosette · columnar · unbranched · leathery
sago palm
Ornamental cycad houseplant
- ornamentalFor beauty, not function
- botanical gardenCultivated collection of labeled flora
- landscapingModifying outdoor areas aesthetically
greenhouse · collectors · nursery · cultivated · tropical garden · focal point · potted · slow growth · hardy
conservation
Preventing waste or loss
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
protection · vulnerable · critically endangered · overharvesting · illegal trade · sanctuary · preservation · survival · CITES · smuggling
- organismsplants, animals, human, dog, fungi
- plantstree, plants, leaves, bluebonnet, trees
- botanical gardensgreenhouses, Kew Gardens, rose garden, orchids, arboretum
- tropical plantshibiscus, bougainvillea, frangipani, mahogany, palm trees
- African plantsacacia, acacias, baobab, protea, rooibos
- Australian plantseucalyptus, eucalypts, gum tree, acacia, wattle
cycadsangiosperms
Plants producing covered seeds
flowering plants · palms · grasses · orchids · monocots