Zamia incognita

Zamia incognita is a cycad from Colombia, widespread along the Magdalena valley (Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas and Santander departments), where it grows on well-drained hills in tropical moist forest between 200 and 500 m above sea level. This species of the genus Zamia, with an underground stem and large, broad, glossy leaflets, was collected as early as 1889 but was only recognised as a distinct species in 2009, hence its name, “unknown”. The IUCN rates it Endangered (2022 assessment), and its pollination by small beetles has been studied in detail.

Key facts about Zamia incognita

  • Accepted name: Zamia incognita A.Lindstr. & Idárraga (2009), accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15) and by GBIF; POWO could not be consulted directly
  • Former names and synonyms: no synonym; old specimens had been referred to Zamia poeppigiana, Zamia melanorrhachis or Zamia muricata
  • Family: Zamiaceae, order Cycadales
  • Common names: no name attested, in English or in any other language
  • Natural range: Colombia, Magdalena valley (Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Santander), 200 to 500 m
  • IUCN status: Endangered (EN B2ab(iii,v)), 2022 assessment; Vulnerable proposed by its authors in 2009
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix II (whole genus, since 1977; seeds exempt under annotation #4); Annex B in the European Union
  • Documented hardiness: no data (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: in the wild, shady but fairly open forest understorey on well-drained hills, acid sandy clay soil, sometimes over limestone; no published growing advice for the species
  • Habit and adult size: tuberous stem, underground to just emerging, up to 22 cm long; 2 or 3 leaves (rarely 4), 0.9 to 1.5 m long; leaflets 30 to 40 cm by 4.7 to 7 cm
  • In the UK, US and Australia: no garden record; declared by three Colombian botanical gardens (BGCI)
  • Toxicity: no data specific to the species; treat it as poisonous, like all cycads (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Zamia incognita

Zamia incognita is a medium-sized Zamia with no visible trunk, bearing two or three erect to arching leaves with large, obovate, leathery and glossy leaflets, toothed towards the tip. Its short, barrel-shaped female cone looks almost stalkless. The description below follows the original publication (Lindström and Idárraga, 2009):

  • Stem: tuberous, underground to emerging, irregular in shape, up to 22 cm long and 15 cm wide; the apex fairly often divides in two. Cataphylls soft, narrowly triangular, 2.5 to 6 cm long.
  • Leaves: 2 or 3 (rarely 4), 93 to 153 cm long, erect to arching, green or pink as they emerge. Petiole 33 to 86 cm long (rarely 92 to 116 cm), with few to many prickles on its lower part; rachis 11 to 42 cm long (rarely up to 152 cm), sparsely prickly or unarmed.
  • Leaflets: 13 to 32 per leaf, obovate to lanceolate, leathery, glossy green, 30 to 40 cm long (sometimes 22 cm) by 4.7 to 7 cm wide (sometimes 4.1 cm), toothed over 25 to 75 per cent of their length from the tip, with rolled margins, spaced 4 to 9 cm apart, with an acuminate tip.
  • Male cones: about 7.5 cm by 2.7 cm, on a stalk of 3 to 6 cm.
  • Female cones: solitary or in pairs, barrel-shaped, often appearing stalkless, 7 to 11 cm by 7 cm, covered in brown down; stalk 3.5 to 7.6 cm.
  • Seeds: globose, about 20 mm long and 15 to 19 mm across; fleshy coat cream to pale pink before ripening (ripe seeds were not seen by the authors).

Hybrids

No hybrid is known. At La Dorada (Caldas), Zamia incognita grows alongside Zamia imbricata, described in 2021, but no intermediate form has been seen (Calonje and colleagues, 2021).

Possible confusion

The original description compares the species with Zamia cupatiensis, now a synonym of Zamia ulei according to The World List of Cycads, and separates it by its broad, obovate, glossy leaflets, its longer leaves and its short, obovate female cone with a barely visible stalk. The authors also rule out the species to which the herbarium specimens had been referred:

  • Zamia poeppigiana: leaflets always narrow and lanceolate, even in seedlings, whereas those of Zamia incognita are always broad and obovate; according to the authors it does not grow in Colombia and may be endemic to Peru;
  • Zamia melanorrhachis: restricted to northern Colombia;
  • Zamia muricata: known in Colombia only from the extreme north-east, and mainly found in northern Venezuela;
  • Zamia imbricata, at the same site: small, thin, overlapping leaflets 4 to 12 cm long.

Taxonomy

Zamia incognita is an accepted name according to The World List of Cycads and GBIF; POWO could not be consulted directly. The species was described in 2009 by Anders J. Lindström, of Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden (Thailand), and Álvaro Idárraga, of the herbarium of the University of Antioquia, in the second volume of the journal Phytotaxa (pages 29 to 34), under the title “Zamia incognita (Zamiaceae): the exciting discovery of a new gymnosperm from Colombia”.

The authors recall that the Flora de Colombia (Stevenson, 2001) listed 16 species of Zamia in the country, seven of them endemic, and that new collections already called for an update. They found several specimens that could not be matched to any known species, which the Flora had placed in Zamia poeppigiana, Zamia melanorrhachis or Zamia muricata. They also stressed that the relationships between the many recently described Zamia were practically unknown and that only genetics could clarify them.

That clarification has since come. The authors of 2021 state that the species does not belong to the northern Colombian manicata clade, on the evidence of the molecular phylogeny of the genus. The transcriptome phylogeny of Lindstrom and colleagues (2024), which included a sample from Santander, places the northern Colombian species within the clade of the eastern Andes, with Zamia incognita, a species of the eastern Andean region, as sister to all of them.

Etymology and history

The epithet incognita comes from the Latin incognitus, “unknown”: according to the original description, it recalls that the species remained unknown until it was described (Haynes, 2022, as given by The World List of Cycads).

Herbarium specimens, some of them fertile, had been collected from 1889 onwards, notably in Santander and in the upper Magdalena, but no one had noticed that they were distinct. The holotype was collected on 28 January 2008 in Antioquia department, at 478 m, by Álvaro Idárraga, Anders J. Lindström and María Cristina López-Gallego (no. 3460); it is kept at the herbarium of the University of Antioquia (HUA), with an isotype at the herbarium of the Medellín Botanical Garden (JAUM).

Common names

No common name is attested for this species, in English or in Spanish.

In the wild

Zamia incognita is widespread along the Magdalena valley. According to the original description, it grows on well-drained hills, often near ridges, in tropical moist forest, in a shady but fairly open understorey under a canopy about 20 m tall. The soil studied contained 46 per cent sand and 39 per cent clay, and was poor in phosphorus and acid; some populations grow on soil over limestone outcrops. Associated plants include the palms Astrocaryum malybo, Bactris pilosa and Oenocarpus bataua. Adult plants were seen with young cones in November and January.

Pollination by beetles

The pollination of the species was studied in a natural population in the Magdalena Medio valley by Valencia-Montoya and colleagues (2017). Exclusion experiments, which selectively kept wind, beetles, both or neither away from the female cones, showed that beetles of the genus Pharaxonotha are effective pollinators and that wind plays no part. By following beetles marked with fluorescent dyes, the researchers watched them enter the female cones down to the micropyles of the ovules; the beetles travelled between 5 m and nearly 22 m from a male to a female cone.

The beetles complete their life cycle in the male cones. The cones produce heat in a daily (circadian) pattern linked to their elongation and to pollen shedding, which appears to play an important part in attracting the beetles, and the authors suggest that the pollination drops on the micropyles serve as a reward. They describe a mutualism dependent on a specific pollinator, with consequences for conservation: protecting the cycad also means protecting the web of interactions with its insects.

Conservation status and regulation

Zamia incognita is rated Endangered (EN) by the IUCN under criteria B2ab(iii,v), in an assessment by Cristina López-Gallego published in 2022 (The World List of Cycads; GBIF gives the same category; the Red List itself could not be consulted). Criterion B concerns a small area of occupancy, combined with a decline in habitat quality and in the number of mature individuals. In 2009 the authors of the description proposed only Vulnerable: several populations were known, most of them outside protected areas and on private land; deforestation and habitat conversion were the main threat, and several heavily disturbed populations had been reduced to scattered plants.

Like all Zamia except Zamia restrepoi, which is in Appendix I, Zamia incognita is covered by the listing of the genus in CITES Appendix II, in force since 4 February 1977. Annotation #4 exempts in particular seeds, pollen, seedlings or tissue cultures obtained in vitro and transported in sterile containers, and cut flowers of artificially propagated plants; international trade in the plants themselves requires an export permit. In the European Union the species falls under Annex B of Regulation (EC) No 338/97, whose current list is set by Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, applicable since 29 June 2026. Species+ names the species and confirms this status (checked on 3 October 2026).

This general information does not replace the official texts: check the regulations in force before buying or exchanging plants or seeds, ask the seller for proof of origin and prefer plants raised from cultivated seed.

Growing Zamia incognita

No growing advice specific to Zamia incognita has been published, and no cultivation outside botanical gardens is documented. BGCI records it in three Colombian botanical gardens: the José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden in Bogotá, the Guillermo Piñeres Botanical Garden of Cartagena (at Turbaco) and the Medellín Botanical Garden (queried on 25 October 2026). Simon Lavaud, of the French specialist nursery Cycadales.eu, lists it among the Zamia of the lowland forests of Central and South America, a group he rates as difficult outside the tropics (Lavaud, 2023).

Its habitat suggests a heated glasshouse, partial shade and a free-draining, slightly acid compost watered regularly; these conditions have not been tested in any published trial.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

Outdoor cultivation is only conceivable in a frost-free, humid tropical climate; the only plants on record are in botanical gardens within its native country.

Container cultivation

In temperate climates any plant would need a heated glasshouse or a bright, heated interior. For the lowland group to which he assigns the species, Lavaud (2023) recommends a glasshouse, conservatory, well-lit heated room or even an indoor growing chamber, since European climates are generally too cool and too dry for these Zamia.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

In short: no record in any of the three countries.

  • United States: no record in BGCI or in the online catalogue of Montgomery Botanical Center (both queried on 25 October 2026).
  • United Kingdom: no record in BGCI or in the online catalogues of British gardens.
  • Australia: no record in BGCI or in the online catalogues of Australian gardens.

The only gardens that declare it to BGCI are the three Colombian gardens named above. A BGCI declaration shows that a garden held the plant at some point, not that it is alive there today.

Propagation

No data specific to the species. Like all Zamia, it has separate male and female plants, and it would be propagated from fresh seed. In the wild, pollination depends on specific beetles; in cultivation, hand pollination would be needed in their absence.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease specific to the species has been documented in cultivation. In the wild, Pharaxonotha beetles develop in the male cones, which is part of the normal pollination cycle, not damage. In cultivation, Zamia are chiefly at risk from rot in cold, waterlogged compost and from scale insects.

Cold hardiness

No data exist on the cold tolerance of Zamia incognita. It lives in lowland tropical forest between 200 and 500 m, and no observation indicates whether it tolerates even light frost.

Mediterranean and European experience

No cultivation has been reported in France or elsewhere in Europe, either in the ground or in a pot, and no dated frost episode concerns the species. For readers in Mediterranean-type climates such as California or southern Australia, it remains a plant for heated glass.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

No cold record exists, since the species is not known in cultivation outside Colombia. In the UK it could only be grown in a heated glasshouse.

Toxicity and precautions

No toxicity study specific to Zamia incognita has been published. The risk is, however, well documented in cycads: Zamia contain toxic glycosides (cycasin, macrozamin), from which methylazoxymethanol is derived, a compound toxic to the liver and nervous system, and the ASPCA cites cycasin and BMAA, a neurotoxic amino acid, for Zamia furfuracea, which it lists as toxic to dogs, cats and horses; the seeds are the most dangerous part. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, treat the plant as poisonous: keep seeds and leaves out of reach of children and animals, and wear gloves to clean seeds. If any part is swallowed, contact a poison centre, a doctor or a vet straight away.

Traditional uses

No use is documented for this species.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called Zamia incognita?

Because it remained “unknown” for a very long time: specimens had been in herbaria since 1889, but no one recognised a distinct species before 2009.

Where does it grow?

In the Magdalena valley of Colombia (Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Santander), on well-drained hills in moist forest, between 200 and 500 m.

How can it be recognised?

By its two or three leaves bearing large, obovate, glossy and leathery leaflets 30 to 40 cm long, toothed at the tip, and by its short, barrel-shaped, almost stalkless female cone.

What pollinates it?

Beetles of the genus Pharaxonotha. A 2017 study showed with exclusion experiments that wind plays no part and that these insects carry pollen over 5 to 22 m.

Is it endangered?

Yes. The IUCN has rated it Endangered since the 2022 assessment, because of deforestation in the Magdalena valley; most populations are on private land.

Is it grown in botanical gardens?

Only in Colombia, as far as published records show: three Colombian botanical gardens declare it to BGCI, and no garden in the UK, the US or Australia.

Is it hardy?

In all likelihood, no. No cold data exist and it lives in lowland tropical forest; it is a plant for a heated glasshouse.

Is it poisonous?

It must be assumed so. No analysis specific to the species exists, but the cycads studied contain serious toxins, mainly in the seeds.

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Lindström, A.J. & Idárraga, Á. (2009). Zamia incognita (Zamiaceae): the exciting discovery of a new gymnosperm from Colombia. Phytotaxa 2: 29–34. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.2.1.5 [Original description; full text read (Plazi).]
  • Valencia-Montoya, W.A., Tuberquia, D., Guzmán, P.A. & Cardona-Duque, J. (2017). Pollination of the cycad Zamia incognita A. Lindstr. & Idárraga by Pharaxonotha beetles in the Magdalena Medio Valley, Colombia: a mutualism dependent on a specific pollinator and its significance for conservation. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 11(5): 717–729. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-017-9511-y [Peer-reviewed article; abstract read, reference checked on Crossref.]
  • Calonje, M., Castro Hernández, J., Coca, L.F., Jaramillo, D. & Aristizábal, A. (2021). Two new species of Zamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales) from the Magdalena-Urabá moist forests ecoregion of northern Colombia. Phytotaxa 497(1): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.497.1.1 [Full text read.]
  • Lindstrom, A., Habib, S., Dong, S., Gong, Y., Liu, J., Calonje, M., Stevenson, D. & Zhang, S. (2024). Transcriptome sequencing data provide a solid base to understand the phylogenetic relationships, biogeography and reticulated evolution of the genus Zamia L. (Cycadales: Zamiaceae). Annals of Botany 134(5): 747–768. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcae065 [Sample from Santander; sister to the northern Colombian species; full text consulted.]
  • López-Gallego, C. (2022). Zamia incognita. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T187838A1829016. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T187838A1829016.en [Red List assessment; reference given by The World List of Cycads and checked on Crossref; Red List page not consulted.]
  • Haynes, J.L. (2022). Etymological compendium of cycad names. Phytotaxa 550(1): 1–31. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.550.1.1 [Source of the etymologies given by The World List of Cycads; not consulted directly.]
  • Calonje, M., Stevenson, D.W. & Osborne, R. (2026). The World List of Cycads, version 2026.08.15. Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21958524 [Reference checklist; consulted directly.]