Cycads

Cycads
(Family Cycadaceae)
They are primitive plants which have been on the earth since the beginning. A cycad looks like a palm tree with fern-like leaves, but produces pine-like cones, although much bigger. The large, nut-like seeds, found between the scales of the cone, are not a delicacy; but the starchy, bland nuts have provided sustenance for many people who learned how to process them into an edible product. The cycads are poisonous; and, without proper preparation, can be deadly. The roots, stems, leaves, and nuts are all toxic, but the toxin can be removed during much boiling. In northern Australia, the cycads were rooted out and destroyed by cattlemen. Holes were cut in the trunks and arsenic inserted, causing the plant to die. During times of hunger, cattle would eat whatever they could; and, when they came across this plant and ate it, a peculiar kind of paralysis developed in their hindquarters, which were called “rickets” by the locals. Thirty years or so ago, there were less than 100 different kinds remaining on earth. Now, wherever they are found, they are usually referred to as a palm, although not related. Plants that are related, as Ginkgo, are referred to as “Gymnosperms.”