About Encephalartos lehmannii Lehm.
This is a cycad species with the scientific name Encephalartos lehmannii Lehm. It can grow up to two metres tall, with a trunk that reaches up to 45 centimetres in diameter, and the trunk may be either branched or unbranched. Its leaves can grow up to 150 centimetres long; they are blue or silver in colour, and are strongly keeled. The leaflets are lanceolate, do not overlap one another, and have smooth margins. Male cones of this cycad are green or brown, and can grow up to 35 centimetres long. Female cones are a similar colour to male cones, and can reach up to 50 centimetres long. Its seeds are red, and grow up to four and a half centimetres long. This species occurs in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It grows mainly on dry sandstone slopes and ridges, among low succulent herbs and shrubs. It flourishes in this arid environment, which demonstrates how cycads as a group have endured over time. It seems resistant to drought, while many other tree species such as cabbage trees and taaibos become leafless and sometimes die during drought conditions.
