Cycads of Africa

A reference work on the genus Encaphalartos that includes all the known species of this distinctly African group as well as the sole living representative of the genus Strangeria. It also includes one species of cycad endemic to Madagascar, but introduced to coastal East Africa by Arab traders some centuries ago. Each species' account is illustrated by three full-page colour plates, showing the plant in its natural habitat, details of leaf and cone-scale strucutre, the diagnostic features of the male and female cones, together with an account of its geographical distribution. This comprehensive text focuses on cycads in the wild - not on horticultural specimen plants - and emphasizes the desirability of conserving them in their natural environment.