Cycas media
Cycas media
Safety & Hazards
The seeds are considered to be poisonous if eaten raw[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. ]. We have no further specific information for this species, but most if not all members of this genus are believed to contain toxins. The two main toxic compounds that have been identified are cycasin and macrozamin. When ingested in sufficient quantities, these compounds are extremely poisonous to humans and many other animals, and have been shown to cause liver damage and cancer. Cycasin and macrozamin have a cumulative effect upon the body and are suspected of causing neurological disorders when ingested in small amounts over long periods of time. There is a long history of human use of this genus as a starch-rich food, but it should be noted that the plants needed to be treated in various ways in order to remove any toxic principles. Caution should be exercised even with properly prepared foods, since even then regular consumption may lead to severe health problems and death. Since many of these species are becoming increasingly rare in the wild, this is probably a food best left to times of food shortage when other, better foods, are not available[ 1935 Title The Cycads Publication Author Whitelock L.M. Publisher Timber Press; Portland, Oregon Year 2002 ISBN 0-88192-522-5 Description An excellent book dealing with the eleven different genera and almost 300 species of plants we know as Cycads. There are detailed descriptions and a host of other information for each species. , K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ].
Botanical Description
Cycas media is a cycad, growing up to 3 metres, occasionally to 6 metres, tall[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. A rather palm-like appearance, producing usually unbranched stems topped by a rosette of leaves each 70 - 180cm long[ 990 Title The Cycad Pages Publication Author Website http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/PlantNet/cycad/wlist.html Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Year 2012 ISBN Description A website dedicated to the various species of Cycad, with a comprehensive description of all the known species (as of 2012). At present (2015), the site is still running but is no longer being updated ]. Although poisonous when raw, the seed is an important item of food for the Australian Aborigines, who collect them in large quantities throughout the year, using various means in order to remove the toxins, before cooking and eating them[ 1934 Title Economic Botany of the Cycads Publication Econ Bot 12, 3-41 (1958) Author Thieret J.W. Website https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02863122 Publisher Year 1958 ISBN Description ]. Populations are believed to be stable, though there is habitat loss in some areas where the land has been cleared for cattle pasture. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].