Ceratozamia totonacorum

Ceratozamia totonacorum is a cycad of east-central Mexico that grows on cliffs and rocky outcrops in the Sierra Norte de Puebla and the neighbouring mountains of Hidalgo and Veracruz, between about 600 and 1,800 m (about 1,970 to 5,900 ft), where cloud forest meets tropical rainforest. This species of the genus Ceratozamia, described in 2017, is named after the Totonac people, who use its leaves to decorate their altars for the Day of the Dead. Its new leaves emerge brown and turn green as they mature. It is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Key facts about Ceratozamia totonacorum

  • Accepted name: Ceratozamia totonacorum Mart.-Domínguez & Nic.-Mor. (2017), accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15), by the 2022 monograph of the genus and by the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP, the database behind POWO, read via GBIF)
  • Former names and synonyms: none
  • Family: Zamiaceae, order Cycadales
  • Common names: none in English; “kun” in the Totonac language (Sierra Norte de Puebla)
  • Natural range: Mexico, Sierra Norte de Puebla and neighbouring parts of Hidalgo and Veracruz, 600 to 1,800 m
  • IUCN status: Vulnerable (VU, criterion B1ab(iii)), assessment published in 2022
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix I (whole genus, since 1985); Annex A in the European Union, seeds included
  • Documented hardiness: no data for the species (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: in the wild, rock faces up to 80 m high and nearby fields, on limestone; no published growing advice
  • Habit and adult size: trunk 10 to 45 cm long and 10 to 25 cm across; 10 to 63 drooping leaves 1 to 2.65 m long
  • In the UK, US and Australia: no garden declares it (see In cultivation)
  • Toxicity: no data for the species; treat it as poisonous, like all cycads (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Ceratozamia totonacorum

Its best field marks are its drooping leaves, brown when they emerge and green later, its fairly broad oblong leaflets with a bluish-grey (glaucous) underside, and its yellowish-green female cone covered in brown hairs. The 2022 monograph describes it as follows:

  • Trunk: above ground, upright then lying down, 10 to 45 cm long and 10 to 25 cm across.
  • Leaves: 10 to 63, 100 to 265 cm long, drooping, brown and covered in brown hairs at emergence, hairless later; petiole 30 to 80 cm long, armed with 10 to 40 slender prickles.
  • Leaflets: 11 to 33 pairs, oblong, flat, papery, green, glaucous beneath, 17 to 40 cm long and 2.7 to 4.2 cm wide, with a symmetrical tip.
  • Male cones: one or two, cylindrical, 28 to 31 cm long and 5 to 6 cm across, greenish yellow, then yellow with brown hairs.
  • Female cones: cylindrical, 20.5 to 28.7 cm long and 8.4 to 9.3 cm across, light glaucous green with orange hairs at emergence, green with yellowish-brown hairs when mature, on an upright or hanging stalk 10 to 11 cm long.
  • Seeds: oval, 2.5 to 3.5 cm long (occasionally 4 cm), with pinkish-white flesh turning cream to light brown.

In the identification key of the monograph, the symmetrical tip of the leaflets is the character that separates Ceratozamia totonacorum from the other species with papery, oblong leaflets and a prickly petiole.

Hybrids

No natural or garden hybrid has been documented.

Possible confusion

The species resembles several Ceratozamia of east-central Mexico, with which it shares morphological features according to Habib and colleagues (2023): Ceratozamia mexicana, Ceratozamia tenuis, Ceratozamia delucana, Ceratozamia fuscoviridis and Ceratozamia morettii.

  • Ceratozamia delucana, of the Sierra Norte de Puebla and Veracruz, is its closest neighbour: Ceratozamia totonacorum differs in its brown young leaves and its drooping leaves (Martínez-Domínguez and colleagues, 2022).
  • Ceratozamia tenuis has linear leaflets that are much narrower (1 to 2.1 cm).
  • Ceratozamia fuscoviridis, of Hidalgo and Veracruz, keeps the dark colour of its young leaves on the veins and underside of adult leaflets, whereas the colour disappears in Ceratozamia totonacorum (Martínez-Domínguez and colleagues, 2018).

Without a cone, a Ceratozamia is hard to tell from a Zamia; the two small horns on the cone scales settle the question.

Taxonomy

Ceratozamia totonacorum is accepted by The World List of Cycads, by the 2022 monograph and by the WCVP, the database behind POWO (read via GBIF on 30 October 2026), which records it from central Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico region and north-eastern Mexico. It has no synonym. The species was described in 2017 in the journal Brittonia by Lilí Martínez-Domínguez, Fernando Nicolalde-Morejón, Dennis Stevenson and Francisco Vergara-Silva; the paper was published online on 31 May 2017, and the name is attributed to Martínez-Domínguez and Nicolalde-Morejón.

In the phylogeny of Habib and colleagues (2023), based on several thousand nuclear genes, it falls in the latifolia subclade of the large Mexicana clade, a group that is still poorly resolved and brings together the species of the Ceratozamia mexicana complex, those of the Ceratozamia robusta complex and several recently described species. The authors cite Ceratozamia totonacorum as an example of a new species whose morphology recalls that of species placed in other complexes, which shows how hard it is to classify the genus on appearance alone.

Etymology and history

The epithet totonacorum means “of the Totonacs”. According to the etymological compendium of Haynes (2022), cited by The World List of Cycads, it honours the Totonac people of the Sierra Norte de Puebla, who live in the range of the species and manage it for their rituals. The type is a female plant collected on 9 June 2015 in the municipality of Jonotla, at about 600 m, by Lilí Martínez-Domínguez and Fernando Nicolalde-Morejón (no. 618, holotype in the CIB herbarium, Xalapa).

The plant had been collected long before it was named: the 2022 monograph assigns to it a specimen gathered by Andrew Vovides in 1976 in the municipality of Huehuetla (Hidalgo). It is grown at Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden in Thailand, which supplied the material for the 2023 phylogenetic study, and at the Francisco Javier Clavijero Botanic Garden in Xalapa (BGCI PlantSearch).

Common names

No common name is recorded in English. In the Totonac language the plant is called “kun” in the Sierra Norte de Puebla (Martínez-Domínguez and colleagues, 2017, cited by the 2022 monograph). No Spanish name specific to the species has been recorded.

In the wild

Ceratozamia totonacorum lives in the Sierra Norte de Puebla and the neighbouring mountains of Hidalgo and Veracruz. It grows in cloud forest and in the transition between evergreen tropical forest and cloud forest, on rocky outcrops and exposed rock faces up to 80 m high, between 600 and 1,800 m (Martínez-Domínguez and colleagues, 2022; the 2018 review gave 600 to 1,050 m). Collections come from the municipalities of Jonotla, Cuetzalan del Progreso, Atlequizayan, Pahuatlán, Tlapacoya and Zacapoaxtla in Puebla, Huehuetla in Hidalgo and Tlachichilco in Veracruz.

In a Totonac community of the municipality of Jonotla, the ethnobotanical study of Escobar Fuentes and colleagues (2023) describes plants growing on limestone cliffs and in the farmed fields next to them. No pollination study specific to the species has been published.

Conservation status and regulation

Ceratozamia totonacorum is listed as Vulnerable (VU, criterion B1ab(iii)) on the IUCN Red List, in an assessment by J.D. Bösenberg published in 2022, in line with the recommendation of its describers: its range is small and the quality of its habitat is declining (status given by The World List of Cycads and confirmed by the Red List data distributed through GBIF, 30 October 2026). For the part of its range that lies in Veracruz, about 17%, a 2025 study counts 9 localities, an extent of occurrence of 2,823 km² and 69% of the habitat transformed; the author proposes listing it as “threatened” (A) in the Mexican standard NOM-059-SEMARNAT (Gómez Díaz, 2025). The species does not appear in the list of that standard as modified in November 2019.

Traditional harvesting is not a threat here. In the community studied, experienced harvesters cut leaves without damaging the plants and use leaves of Chamaedorea palms instead when cycad leaves are scarce; the 2023 study found no negative effect on the population and concluded that these community practices have helped to keep it stable.

Like the whole genus, it has been covered by CITES Appendix I since 1 August 1985 (cycads had been in Appendix II since 1977), and by Annex A of Regulation (EC) No 338/97 in the European Union (annexes now set by Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, applicable since 29 June 2026), seeds included. Species+ does not list the species under its own name (checked on 30 October 2026), but the listing covers the entire genus, including recently described species. International trade in wild-collected plants for commercial purposes is banned; only artificially propagated plants with the required permits can be traded.

In practice, ask for seed-grown plants with documents of origin. This general information does not replace the official texts: check the regulations in force before buying, importing or exchanging plants.

Growing Ceratozamia totonacorum

No source describes the cultivation of this recently described species, which is rare in collections. The pointers below are drawn from its habitat and from the general rules for the genus; they have not been confirmed by published trials.

  • Light: bright partial shade, like the rock faces at the edge of the cloud forest; avoid hot afternoon sun.
  • Soil: very free-draining and largely mineral (limestone grit or gravel), with some humus; water must never stand around the base.
  • Watering: regular during growth, reduced in winter; its cloud-forest habitat is humid, but the plants grow on well-drained rock.
  • Growth: slow; no figures specific to the species have been published.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

No outdoor planting of Ceratozamia totonacorum has been documented, in any climate.

Container cultivation

Young plants can be grown in a pot in a mineral, free-draining mix, which allows them to be moved under cover in winter. The drooping leaves of adults, up to 2.65 m long, need room.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

No garden in the United Kingdom, the United States or Australia declares Ceratozamia totonacorum to BGCI PlantSearch, and the name does not appear in the online catalogue of Montgomery Botanical Center (both queried on 30 October 2026). BGCI lists only the Francisco Javier Clavijero Botanic Garden in Xalapa, Mexico.

Propagation

Propagation is from seed. The plants are male or female: both sexes and, in cultivation, hand pollination are needed to obtain fertile seed. No germination data specific to the species have been published. Handle seeds wearing gloves.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease specific to Ceratozamia totonacorum has been documented. In cultivated Ceratozamia, growers mainly report rot in cold, sodden soil and leaf scorch after sudden exposure to full sun.

Cold hardiness

No data exist for Ceratozamia totonacorum: no dated cultivation report, and no temperature record published for its sites.

Mediterranean and European experience

No cultivation of this species has been reported in Europe, and the Jardin zoologique tropical in La Londe-les-Maures (Var, on the French Riviera) has published no observation of it. European results for the genus concern other species and cannot be transferred to it.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

No dated cold record and no commercial hardiness rating have been published. Overwinter it frost-free until documented trials exist.

Toxicity and precautions

No toxicity study specific to Ceratozamia totonacorum has been published. The risk is well documented in other cycads: their tissues, and above all their seeds, contain toxic glycosides (cycasin, macrozamin), from which methylazoxymethanol is derived, a compound harmful to the liver and nervous system. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, treat the plant as poisonous: keep seeds and leaves out of reach of children and animals, wear gloves to clean seeds, and if any part is swallowed, call a poison centre, a doctor or a vet straight away.

Traditional uses

The leaves have an important ritual use. In the Sierra Norte de Puebla, people use them to make “arcos”, decorative arches, and to decorate altars (Martínez-Domínguez and colleagues, 2017 and 2022). In the municipality of Nauzontla, they adorn the festivities of Saint Jude (San Judas Tadeo), according to a photograph in the monograph. In a Totonac community of the municipality of Jonotla, they decorate the altars of the Day of the Dead: the study of Escobar Fuentes and colleagues (2023) documented this use, the harvesting techniques and their effect on the population, which it found to be nil. No food or medicinal use has been reported.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the name totonacorum come from?

From the Totonac people. The epithet means “of the Totonacs” and honours the inhabitants of the Sierra Norte de Puebla who use and manage this plant for their rituals.

What are its leaves used for?

Decorating altars. Totonac families decorate their Day of the Dead altars with them, and other villages of the Sierra Norte de Puebla make arches from them for religious festivities.

Does this harvesting threaten the species?

No, according to the 2023 study. Harvesters cut leaves without damaging the plants and switch to Chamaedorea palm leaves when cycad leaves run short. The population studied remains stable.

Where does it grow?

In east-central Mexico. It lives in the Sierra Norte de Puebla and the neighbouring mountains of Hidalgo and Veracruz, on cliffs and rocks, between 600 and 1,800 m.

How can I recognise it?

By its drooping leaves, brown when they emerge, then green. Its oblong leaflets, 2.7 to 4.2 cm wide, are glaucous beneath. Its neighbour Ceratozamia delucana has young leaves of another colour and less drooping leaves.

Can it take frost?

Nobody knows. No dated cultivation trial and no temperature record for its habitat have been published. Overwinter it frost-free.

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Martínez-Domínguez, L., Nicolalde-Morejón, F., Stevenson, D.W. & Vergara-Silva, F. (2017). A new species of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) from the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico. Brittonia 69(4): 516–524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-017-9486-0 [Original description; data cited from the 2022 monograph and The World List of Cycads.]
  • Escobar Fuentes, T., López Binnqüist, C., Basurto Peña, F., Velázquez-Rosas, N., Nicolalde-Morejón, F., Martínez-Domínguez, L. & Blancas, J. (2023). Ritual use of Ceratozamia totonacorum (Zamiaceae) leaves in Santiago Ecatlán, Puebla, Mexico: perspectives on conservation. Journal of Ethnobiology 43(4): 317–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/02780771231211386 [Ritual use and sustainable management.]
  • Martínez-Domínguez, L., Nicolalde-Morejón, F., Vergara-Silva, F. & Stevenson, D.W. (2018). Taxonomic review of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) in the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico. PhytoKeys 100: 91–124. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.100.23152 [Regional review; open access.]
  • Martínez-Domínguez, L., Nicolalde-Morejón, F., Vergara-Silva, F. & Stevenson, D.W. (2022). Monograph of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales): an endangered genus. PhytoKeys 208: 1–102. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.208.80382 [Monograph of the genus; open access.]
  • Habib, S., Gong, Y., Dong, S., Lindstrom, A., Stevenson, D.W., Wu, H. & Zhang, S. (2023). Phylotranscriptomics shed light on intrageneric relationships and historical biogeography of Ceratozamia (Cycadales). Plants 12(3): 478. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030478 [Phylogeny of the genus, material from Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden; open access.]
  • Gómez Díaz, J.A. (2025). Assessing the extinction risk of Veracruz cycads. Cambridge Prisms: Extinction 3: e7. https://doi.org/10.1017/ext.2025.5 [Risk indicators; open access.]
  • Bösenberg, J.D. (2022). Ceratozamia totonacorum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T126334088A126334163. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T126334088A126334163.en [Red List assessment; category confirmed by GBIF.]
  • 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.]
  • 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.]