Cycas flabellata

Cycas flabellata is a cycad from the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines, described in 2019 by the Philippine botanists Esperanza Maribel G. Agoo, Domingo A. Madulid and John Rey Callado. This member of the genus Cycas owes its name to the sterile part of its megasporophylls, which is broadened like a fan. Known from a type collected at 300 m in Bukidnon province and from populations in the provinces of Davao Oriental and Misamis Oriental, it remains very poorly documented. The IUCN has not yet assessed it.

Key facts about Cycas flabellata

  • Accepted name: Cycas flabellata Agoo, Madulid & J.R.Callado (2019), accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15); POWO could not be consulted
  • Former names and synonyms: none
  • Family: Cycadaceae, order Cycadales
  • Common names: no common name attested, in English or any other language
  • Natural range: the Philippines, island of Mindanao (Davao Oriental and Misamis Oriental according to The World List of Cycads; type collected in Bukidnon province)
  • IUCN status: not evaluated (NE), confirmed by the Red List data relayed by GBIF
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix II (seeds exempt under annotation #4); Annex B in the European Union
  • Documented hardiness: no data (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: not documented
  • Habit and adult size: not documented in the sources consulted
  • In the UK, US and Australia: Montgomery Botanical Center (Florida) lists two 2023 accessions as Cycas cf. flabellata, an unconfirmed identification; no British or Australian record
  • Toxicity: no data for the species; treat it as poisonous, like all Cycas (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Cycas flabellata

The character that gave Cycas flabellata its name is the sterile blade of the megasporophylls (the fertile leaves of female plants), broadened like a fan, according to the etymology given by The World List of Cycads. The full description (trunk, leaves, cones, seeds) appears in the original publication, in the Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden (pages 533 to 535, figure 34-2), which could not be consulted: no measurements are therefore given here, so as not to state anything unverified.

Hybrids

No hybrid is documented for this species.

Possible confusion

As the original description could not be read, it is not known which species the authors compared Cycas flabellata with, nor by which characters they separated it; only the fan-shaped blade of the megasporophylls is attested as a distinguishing feature. The other cycads of Mindanao are Cycas edentata, a coastal cycad with megasporophylls almost without teeth, Cycas lacrimans, Cycas sancti-lasallei and Cycas mindanaensis, which IPNI shows was described in the same article. A search-engine extract of the abstract mentions the first three, but the abstract itself could not be read, so the comparison remains unverified.

Taxonomy

Cycas flabellata is a name accepted by The World List of Cycads; POWO could not be consulted. The species was described in the article “Novel species of Cycas (Cycadaceae) from Mindanao Island, Philippines”, in the proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Cycad Biology (Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 117: 529–539), which also describes Cycas mindanaensis. IPNI records the name on page 533 and dates its publication to 19 February 2019; Crossref gives the online chapter the date of 9 November 2018. Its placement in a section of the genus is not stated in the sources consulted.

It adds to the species described from the Philippines since the revision by Lindström, Hill and Stanberg (2008). Agoo and Madulid had already jointly described Cycas sancti-lasallei, also from Mindanao, in 2012.

Etymology and history

The epithet comes from the Latin flabellatus, “fan-shaped”, after the sterile blade of the megasporophylls, according to Haynes (2022) as cited by The World List of Cycads.

The type was collected by E. M. G. Agoo in March 2010 at Libona, in Bukidnon province (Mindanao), at 300 m (M.E. Agoo 10-086, holotype at the Philippine National Herbarium, PNH; isotype at the De La Salle University herbarium, DLSUH). No history of introduction into cultivation is documented.

Common names

No common name is recorded for this species, in English or any Philippine language, in the sources consulted.

In the wild

The World List of Cycads gives Cycas flabellata in the provinces of Davao Oriental and Misamis Oriental, on Mindanao. Yet the type comes from Libona, in the neighbouring province of Bukidnon, which does not appear in that list: the exact range therefore remains to be clarified. Its habitat, the extent of its populations, its pollinator and its phenology are not documented in the accessible sources, and GBIF holds no occurrence record under this name (consulted on 21 October 2026).

Conservation status and regulation

Cycas flabellata has not been evaluated by the IUCN (NE), according to The World List of Cycads and the Red List data relayed by GBIF (consulted on 21 October 2026). The original publication could not be read: the publisher’s page is unreachable and Crossref holds no abstract. A search-engine extract of the abstract attributes to the authors the view that the species is threatened, mainly by human activities; this is unverified, and no proposed category or criteria are known.

Like every species in the genus except Cycas beddomei, Cycas flabellata is listed in CITES Appendix II, through the listing of the family Cycadaceae, included since 4 February 1977. The listing carries annotation #4 (CoP20 version, in force since 5 March 2026): seeds, pollen, seedlings or tissue cultures obtained in vitro and transported in sterile containers, and cut flowers of artificially propagated plants, are not subject to CITES, whereas international trade in the plants themselves requires an export permit. Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States apply CITES through their own national legislation; in the European Union the species is in Annex B of Regulation (EC) No 338/97, whose annexes in force are set by Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, applicable since 29 June 2026. Species+, the official CITES database, does not yet list this name, published in 2019 (search of 3 October 2026): protection follows from the listing of the whole family, which covers every species, named or not. This general information does not replace the official texts: check the rules in force before buying or exchanging plants, ask the seller for proof of origin and prefer plants raised from cultivated seed.

Growing Cycas flabellata

In short: no institution has published growing advice for this species, and no growing report has been found. A plant from a tropical island, it would need tropical conditions or a heated glasshouse.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

No planting in the open ground is documented. Mindanao has a frost-free tropical climate; beyond that, nothing is known of the plant’s needs.

Container cultivation

No container growing is documented. No report was found on the French forum Fous de palmiers or the Italian forum Tropicamente, and the Jardin zoologique tropical at La Londe-les-Maures, in the south of France, has published no observation on this species.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

  • United States: the online catalogue of Montgomery Botanical Center (Coral Gables, Florida) lists two accessions from 2023 (numbers 20230335 and 20230336) under the name Cycas cf. flabellata, a name marked as unchecked in the catalogue (consulted on 21 October 2026); “cf.” means that the identification still has to be confirmed. BGCI PlantSearch lists no garden.
  • United Kingdom and Australia: no record in BGCI PlantSearch, in the online catalogues of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, or in the inventory of cycads in British, American and Australian gardens compiled for this site.

No report from an English-speaking grower could be read; PalmTalk and Dave’s Garden could not be consulted.

Propagation

The plant is dioecious: a male and a female plant are needed for fertile seed. No germination data specific to the species have been published. Seeds are exempt from CITES under annotation #4.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease specific to the species is documented. In the Philippines, the Asian cycad scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui, was spreading quickly and seriously attacking cultivated cycads on several islands (Luzon, Negros, Panay); its presence in wild populations had not been confirmed in 2008 (Lindström and colleagues 2008).

Cold hardiness

No cold-tolerance data exist for Cycas flabellata. Mindanao has a frost-free tropical climate, and nothing suggests that the plant can survive frost.

European experience

No growing result has been published in Europe, in the open ground or in a pot. Searches of the French forum Fous de palmiers and the Italian forum Tropicamente found no cold report for this species, and no dated frost event concerns it.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

No cold reading or dated growing report was found, either on forums or from botanic gardens. No USDA zone can be given.

Toxicity and precautions

No toxicity analysis specific to Cycas flabellata has been found. The risk is, however, well documented in the genus: Cycas tissues, and the seeds above all, contain cycasin, which is converted during digestion into methylazoxymethanol, toxic to the liver and nervous system, along with a neurotoxic amino acid, BMAA. The ASPCA lists the sago palm (Cycas revoluta) as poisonous to dogs, cats and horses. Until proven otherwise, treat the plant as poisonous: keep seeds and leaves out of reach of children and pets, and wear gloves to clean the 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

What does flabellata mean?

“Fan-shaped” in Latin: the name describes the sterile part of the megasporophylls, broadened like a fan.

Where does Cycas flabellata grow?

On Mindanao, in the Philippines: The World List of Cycads cites the provinces of Davao Oriental and Misamis Oriental, and the type comes from Libona, in Bukidnon province.

When was it described?

In 2019, by Philippine botanists, in the same article as Cycas mindanaensis.

Is it endangered?

Not known. The IUCN has not assessed it, and the original description could not be read. A search-engine extract describes it as threatened by human activities, which cannot be verified; it is in any case covered by CITES Appendix II, like every Cycas except Cycas beddomei.

Is it in cultivation?

Hardly. The only record found is a pair of 2023 accessions at Montgomery Botanical Center, Florida, still identified only as Cycas cf. flabellata.

Can it be grown outdoors in the UK?

Almost certainly not. No cold data exist, and it is a plant of a tropical island: in the UK it would need a heated glasshouse.

Is it poisonous?

It must be assumed so. No analysis exists for the species, but all the cycads studied contain serious toxins, especially in the seeds.

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Agoo, E.M.G., Madulid, D.A. & Callado, J.R. (2019). Novel species of Cycas (Cycadaceae) from Mindanao Island, Philippines. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 117: 529–539. doi:10.21135/893275389.034 [Original description; not consulted: publisher’s page unreachable and no abstract on Crossref (metadata checked on 21 October 2026); its summary was seen only as a search-engine extract, which is not treated as a source.]
  • Lindström, A.J., Hill, K.D. & Stanberg, L.C. (2008). The genus Cycas (Cycadaceae) in The Philippines. Telopea 12(1): 119–145. doi:10.7751/telopea20085805 [Revision of the Philippine cycads, Aulacaspis scale; full text consulted.]
  • Haynes, J.L. (2022). Etymological compendium of cycad names. Phytotaxa 550(1): 1–31. doi: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. doi:10.5281/zenodo.21958524 [Reference checklist; consulted directly.]