Cycads "Living fossil"

The Cycads are primitive woody plants which flourished over 200 million years ago,Among the oldest plants still living on the planet sometimes called the living fossils now widely scattered throughout the world.mostly in dry areas.Growing extremely slowly some are  hundred of years old,considered,There are five indigenous Encephalartos in Kenya but only Encephalartos hildebrandtii is common,widely distributed along the Kenya coastal forests.The rest are inland,restricted to drier areas

Leaves are compound to 2.5m long,in whorls from stem:about 80 pairs of leaflets stiff and tough,often with spiny teeth at the tip and 1 -9 along each margin and parallel veins

Cones ripen brown and are pollinated by insects probably  flying beetles,seeds have a soft outer layer,the inner nut to 3cm long

The hard seed is boiled and ground to flour by  the Boni people in Lamu ,during famine season,the starchy stem centre can be chopped,fermented then dried to make uji porridge or ugali,seeds and suckerd may be used for propagation