Stats

Lifespan: 50-100+ yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Subtropical forest
Range: East Asia
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins Spines
Status: Common

About

Often called a living fossil, this ancient plant has thrived since the age of the dinosaurs and grows a crown of stiff, feathery leaves. Although it looks like a small palm tree, it is actually a slow-growing relative of pine trees that can live for over one hundred years.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Cycadopsida
Order: Cycadales
Family: Cycadaceae
Genus: Cycas
Species: Cycas revoluta