8/12/2019 Caladium, Cycas, Alamanda

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/caladium-cycas-alamanda 1/5

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms 

(unranked): Monocots

Order: Alismatales  

Family: Araceae  

Subfamily: Aroideae 

Tribe: Caladieae  

Genus: Caladium bicolor  

Description 

Caladiums are tuber-rooted tropical perennials grown for their large and showy leaves. Caladiumshave no stems; the leaves are borne on long, 6-12 in (15-30.5 cm), petioles (leaf stems) that arise

directly from the underground tuber. The petioles are attached to the leaves near the center, rather

than at one end, a condition called peltate. Leaf shape, size and color vary among the hundreds of

selections, but most are heart, lance or arrowhead shaped, 6-14 in (15-35.6 cm) long, and variously

spotted or streaked with pink, red, gray, or white. The caladium inflorescence is a 9 in (23 cm)

greenish white Jack-in-the-pulpit-like spadix and spathe. (The spadix is the fleshy upright spike

with tiny flowers on it - Jack; and the spathe is the hood-like bract that surrounds the spadix - the

 pulpit.) Small white berries eventually develop on the spadix. The whole plant, by the end of its

growing season, is about 2 ft (0.6 m) tall and 2 ft (0.6 m) wide.

8/12/2019 Caladium, Cycas, Alamanda

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/caladium-cycas-alamanda 2/5

 

Cycas revoluta

This very symmetrical plant supports a crown of shiny, dark green leaves on a thick shaggy trunk

that is typically about 20 cm (7.9 in) in diameter, sometimes wider. The trunk is very low to

subterranean in young plants, but lengthens above ground with age. It can grow into very old

specimens with 6 – 7 m (over 20 feet) of trunk; however, the plant is very slow-growing and requires

about 50 – 100 years to achieve this height. Trunks can branch multiple times, thus producing

multiple heads of leaves.

The leaves are a deep semiglossy green and about 50 – 

150 cm (20 – 

59 in) long when the plants are

of a reproductive age. They grow out into a feather-like rosette to 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter. The

crowded, stiff, narrow leaflets are 8 – 18 cm (3.1 – 7.1 in) long and have strongly recurved or revolute

edges. The basal leaflets become more like spines. The petiole or stems of the sago cycad are 6 – 

10 cm (2.4 – 3.9 in) long and have small protective barbs that must be avoided.

Roots are called coralloid  with an  Anabaena symbiosis allowing nitrogen fixation.[3] Tannins-rich

cells are found on either side of the algal layer to resist the algal invasion.

As with other cycads, it is dioecious, with the males bearing  pollen cones (strobilus) and the

females bearing groups of megasporophylls. Pollination can be done naturally by insects or

artificially.

8/12/2019 Caladium, Cycas, Alamanda

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/caladium-cycas-alamanda 3/5

 

Cycas revoluta 

 Allamanda cathartica

Description 

A tropical twining vine with deeply veined, whorled leaves and large, trumpet shaped bright yellow

flowers. Prickly seed pods follow the flowers with winged seeds that fly about when the pod dries

and breaks open. Allamanda is perennial in tropical climates and may be treated as an annual or

 brought inside during cold weather and replanted after danger of frost. The plant has milky sap and

is considered poisonous; all parts are highly cathartic (hence the botanical name). Texture is coarse

and leaves are bright to light green; the plant is often pruned and used as a shrub. Some cultivars

have been bred for fragrance; a particularly popular one has furry brown buds and darker green

leaves than the species.

8/12/2019 Caladium, Cycas, Alamanda

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/caladium-cycas-alamanda 4/5

 

http://www.globinmed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102532:alamanda-

cathartica&catid=135&Itemid=141 

8/12/2019 Caladium, Cycas, Alamanda

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/caladium-cycas-alamanda 5/5

Dioon edule, variety "Queretaro Blue", grows in the Mexican state of Queretaro, at elevations

exceeding one mile, resulting in cold hardiness well below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Its leaves are a

glaucous/blue color, with a slight twist, curving slightly inward. The leaflets of Dioon edule,

"Queretaro Blue" are spineless, smooth and pointed, with slightly revolute margins (edges turned

under). Full sun exposure will cause a more blue leaf color. The Queretaro Dioon grows well in

 both container and garden. Good drainage is important for this plant.

This Dioon edule complex is a group of of flat-leafed, sun-loving plants popular for their tolerance

of heat and cold and attractive, stiff, blue- to gray-green colored leaves. They grow best in part to

full sun.

http://search.store.yahoo.net/cycads/cgi-

 bin/nsearch?catalog=CYCADS&vwcatalog=CYCADS&query=cycas%20revoluta&x=-1093&y=-87 

Encephalartos

Dioon

Zamia

Ceratozamia

Microcycas

Strangeria

Bowenia

Lepidozamia

Macrozamia

Link Global Information Hub ON Integrated Medicine http://www.globinmed.com