CYCAD

any of the palmlike, woody plants that constitute the order Cycadales. The order consists of four families: Cycadaceae, Zamiaceae, Stangeriaceae, and Boweniaceae. Some authorities use the term cycad to refer to all members of the division Cycadophyta. Plants of this division are known to have existed in the Mesozoic Era, about 245 to 66.4 million years ago. Only the order Cycadales contains living species. Cycads are distinguished by crowns of large, pinnately compound leaves and by cones borne at the ends of the branches. Some cycads have tall, unbranched trunks with an armourlike appearance; others have partially buried stems with swollen (tuberous) trunks. The stem has a large pith surrounded by a narrow zone of soft, woody tissue. Male cones produce pollen that is carried by wind to female cones (borne on separate plants), where fertilization occurs. Slow-growing cycads are used as ornamental conservatory plants, but some survive outdoors in temperate regions (see Cycas). Starch from the stems of some cycads is edible after an alkaloid is removed by thorough cooking. The young leaves and seeds of other species also are edible.