Cycas lingshuigensis

Cycas lingshuigensis is the name under which the Chinese botanist G.A. Fu described, in 2004, the cycads of the hills of Lingshui, in the south-east of Hainan Island, China. The correct spelling of the name is Cycas lingshuiensis, and it no longer stands for a separate species: for The World List of Cycads, the reference checklist, these plants of the genus Cycas belong to Cycas taiwaniana, which is the name to use from a botanical point of view. The name in its original spelling is nevertheless still used in recent research, so this page explains where it comes from, what is actually known about the plants and how they have been classified.

Key facts about Cycas lingshuigensis

  • Name: Cycas lingshuiensis G.A.Fu (2004), published with the spelling “lingshuigensis”; a synonym of Cycas taiwaniana Carruth. for The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15); POWO could not be consulted directly
  • Earlier treatments: a synonym of Cycas hainanensis for Hill (2008) and, still today, for the CITES database
  • Family: Cycadaceae, order Cycadales
  • Common names: no English name, and no common name of its own in any language, is attested
  • Natural range: China, Hainan Island, Lingshui district (type locality)
  • IUCN status: no assessment of its own; the Red List treats the name as a synonym of Cycas taiwaniana, listed as Endangered (EN) in the reassessment published in version 2023-1
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix II (seeds exempt under annotation #4); Annex B in the European Union; first-class state protection in China for all Cycas
  • Documented hardiness: no data under this name (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: mixed hill forest at 500 to 600 m at the type locality; nothing more is documented under this name
  • Habit and adult size: not documented under this name in the sources consulted; see the measurements given for the Hainan plants below
  • In the UK, US and Australia: no garden record found under either spelling
  • Toxicity: no data of its own; treat it as poisonous, like all Cycas (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise the plants called Cycas lingshuigensis

There is no reliable character for recognising them. Fu’s original description could not be consulted, and no accessible source gives a feature that separates these plants from the other cycads of Hainan. That is precisely why the name was first attached to Cycas hainanensis and then to Cycas taiwaniana.

In practice these are cycads of the “Cycas taiwaniana complex”, a group of very similar species from southern China. The Hainan plants that Ken Hill (2008) brought together under Cycas hainanensis have an aerial trunk usually 0.3 to 1.5 m tall (exceptionally 3.5 m), a crown of 50 to 80 glossy leaves 70 to 230 cm long, narrow leaflets 6 to 10 mm wide, spindle-shaped male cones about 40 cm long and megasporophylls with a deeply comb-like blade. These figures cover all the plants Hill examined, not those from Lingshui in particular.

Hybrids

No hybrid, wild or cultivated, is documented under this name. The story of Cycas lingshuigensis is one of species boundaries, not of hybridisation.

Possible confusion

Confusion lies at the very origin of the name, since the Lingshui plants cannot be told consistently from the other cycads of Hainan. The closest are:

  • Cycas hainanensis, described in 1975 from eastern Hainan, under which Hill (2008) placed the name; Hill also cites a specimen of Cycas hainanensis collected in 1959 on Mount Diaolou, in Lingshui district;
  • Cycas taiwaniana, under which the name is now placed;
  • Cycas shanyaensis, described in 2006 by the same author from plants of Sanya, in the south of the island, and likewise a synonym of Cycas taiwaniana for The World List of Cycads;
  • Cycas changjiangensis, from western Hainan, a dwarf plant with a mostly underground trunk, which the world checklist still accepts as a species.

One naming trap is worth remembering: for more than a century the name Cycas taiwaniana was wrongly applied to the cycad of Taiwan, now Cycas taitungensis (Hill 2008). A plant sold as “taiwaniana” is therefore not necessarily a Hainan plant.

Taxonomy

The name was published by G.A. Fu in 2004 in the Bulletin of Botanical Research (Harbin) (24(4): 387–388, with a figure), with the spelling “lingshuigensis”. Ken Hill (2008) explained that the epithet was incorrectly formed, with a superfluous “g”, and corrected it to lingshuiensis, the form used by IPNI and by The World List of Cycads; two years later Fu used the same irregular spelling for Cycas shanyaensis (“shanyagensis”). This site keeps “lingshuigensis” as the working name because it is the spelling originally published and is still used in some studies, including that of Feng and colleagues (2021).

In his revision of the Cycas of China, Hill (2008) placed Cycas lingshuiensis in the synonymy of Cycas hainanensis, stating that he did so following discussions with Chinese botanists, without having seen the type. In 2021 Feng and colleagues (Taxon) studied the six taxa of the Cycas taiwaniana complex (changjiangensis, fairylakea, hainanensis, lingshuigensis, szechuanensis and taiwaniana), combining morphology, plastid DNA, nuclear genes and microsatellites. Every method recognised only two species: Cycas szechuanensis, which includes Cycas fairylakea, and Cycas taiwaniana, which includes Cycas changjiangensis, Cycas hainanensis and Cycas lingshuigensis.

The World List of Cycads followed this study for Cycas lingshuiensis, moving it from the synonymy of Cycas hainanensis to that of Cycas taiwaniana (with a reference to page 488 of the article), but it still accepts Cycas changjiangensis as a species. The IUCN Red List data relayed by GBIF do the same. Species+, the CITES database, still records Cycas lingshuiensis as a synonym of Cycas hainanensis (search of 12 October 2026). For the reader, the upshot is simple: a label reading “Cycas lingshuigensis” or “lingshuiensis” refers to a Hainan plant of the Cycas taiwaniana complex.

Etymology and history

The epithet comes from Lingshui, a town and district in south-eastern Hainan, with the Latin ending -ensis, “from” (Hill 2008). The type (G.A. Fu 10809) was collected on 26 December 2002 at Lingshui, in mixed hill forest at 500 to 600 m; the holotype is kept at the HFB herbarium (The World List of Cycads). No history of its introduction into cultivation is documented under this name.

Common names

No common name of its own is attested, in English or in any other language. The Chinese names recorded by Hill (2008) for the Hainan plants, such as 海南苏铁 (hai nan su tie, “Hainan cycad”), belong to Cycas hainanensis, not to this name in particular.

In the wild

Under this name only the type locality is documented: Lingshui district, in south-eastern Hainan, in mixed hill forest at 500 to 600 m. For all the Hainan plants he included in Cycas hainanensis, Hill (2008) describes humid tropical forest from sea level to about 1,200 m, on limestone or volcanic soils, under a very wet subtropical climate (about 2,000 mm of rain a year), and he already noted that wild populations were much reduced.

The genetic study by Wu and colleagues (2022), which treats the Hainan plants under the name Cycas taiwaniana and calls it “endemic to Hainan Island”, sampled twelve wild populations, mostly around the Wuzhi and Yingge mountains, and found relatively low genetic diversity and strong differentiation between populations. The sources consulted do not say whether any Lingshui population was included.

Conservation status and regulation

The name has no assessment of its own on the IUCN Red List. The current Red List data relayed by GBIF (consulted on 13 October 2026) treat it as a synonym of Cycas taiwaniana, listed as Endangered (EN): the reassessment by John Donald Bösenberg, published in version 2023-1 (reference checked on Crossref), replaced Ken Hill’s 2010 assessment (criteria A2cd+4cd, as cited by The World List of Cycads). Hill (2008) also gave Cycas hainanensis as Endangered, after the 2003 assessment. The Red List itself could not be consulted.

In China every Cycas species is on the list of first-class protected plants (Wu and colleagues 2022). Like every species in the genus except Cycas beddomei, these plants fall under CITES Appendix II, through the listing of the family Cycadaceae, included since 4 February 1977. The listing carries annotation #4 (version in force since 5 March 2026): seeds, pollen, seedlings or tissue cultures obtained in vitro and transported in sterile containers are exempt, 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 plants are 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+ confirms this status for Cycas hainanensis, of which it treats Cycas lingshuiensis as a synonym (search of 12 October 2026).

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 lingshuigensis

In short: no growing advice has been published for plants under this name, and no grower’s report was found. They come from hill forest on a very wet tropical island, so, as a deduction rather than a tested recommendation, they are best treated like the other Hainan cycads: plants that need steady warmth and a free-draining mix.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

No planting result under this name has been published anywhere outside China. Only frost-free tropical and near-tropical climates can reasonably be considered. The only outdoor report found in Europe for a Hainan plant of this group concerns a plant labelled Cycas hainanensis: a grower in Concarneau (Finistère, Brittany, France) reports on the French Fous de palmiers forum, in April 2012, that it lost all its leaves at −5 °C (23 °F) during the winter of 2011–2012, its trunk apparently remaining sound. Nothing allows this isolated report to be transferred to the Lingshui plants.

Container cultivation

In temperate climates, a large pot brought into a warm glasshouse or conservatory for the winter is the prudent choice; no container-growing report exists under this name. The French forum Fous de palmiers returns no result for either “lingshuigensis” or “lingshuiensis” (search of 13 October 2026), and the Jardin zoologique tropical at La Londe-les-Maures, in the south of France, has published nothing on these plants.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

No British, American or Australian garden record was found. Neither spelling appears in BGCI PlantSearch or in the online catalogue of Montgomery Botanical Center in Florida (searches of 21 October 2026), nor in the inventory of cycads in British, American and Australian gardens compiled for this site (19 October 2026). Plants of the Hainan group may be grown under Cycas hainanensis or Cycas taiwaniana, but no record links them to Lingshui. No report from an English-speaking grower could be read; PalmTalk and Dave’s Garden could not be consulted.

Propagation

Like all cycads, these plants are dioecious: a male and a female plant are needed to obtain fertile seed. No germination data of their own have been published. Seeds are exempt from CITES under annotation #4; ask for seed from cultivated plants.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease of their own is documented. Like all cycads, they can be attacked by the Asian cycad scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui, and a mix that stays wet for long periods encourages root rot.

Cold hardiness

There are no cold-tolerance data for the plants called Cycas lingshuigensis. They come from an island with a very wet tropical to subtropical climate, and no source says how low a temperature they can withstand.

One warning applies to the whole group: hardiness claims published under the name “Cycas taiwaniana” may in fact concern Cycas taitungensis, the cycad of Taiwan, to which that name was long misapplied (Hill 2008). They should not be transferred to the Hainan plants.

Mediterranean experience

No growing result has been published in Europe under this name, in the ground or in a pot, and no dated frost event concerns it. Neither French forums nor the Jardin zoologique tropical in the Var report any experience with 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. In the UK, and in the cooler parts of the United States and Australia, keep the plant under frost-free glass.

Toxicity and precautions

No toxicity analysis specific to these plants has been found, but the risk is 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, with vomiting, diarrhoea and liver damage that can be fatal. 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 traditional use linked to this name is documented in the sources consulted.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cycas lingshuigensis a valid species?

No, according to current checklists. The World List of Cycads and the IUCN Red List treat it as a synonym of Cycas taiwaniana, following Feng and colleagues (2021); Hill (2008) had already placed it under Cycas hainanensis.

Should it be spelt lingshuigensis or lingshuiensis?

Lingshuiensis is the correct form. The name was published as “lingshuigensis”, with a superfluous “g”, corrected by Hill in 2008; both spellings appear in the literature.

Where does the name come from?

From Lingshui, a town and district in south-eastern Hainan Island, where the type was collected in 2002.

How does it differ from Cycas hainanensis?

No consistent difference is documented. Both names refer to very similar Hainan cycads, which The World List of Cycads now places under Cycas taiwaniana.

Is it available from nurseries?

No source consulted reports plants sold under this name. A plant offered as “lingshuigensis” or “lingshuiensis” falls under CITES Appendix II and should come with proof that it was raised in cultivation.

Can it be grown outdoors in the UK?

No, as far as is known. There are no cold data under this name; it should be treated as a plant for a frost-free glasshouse or a pot brought indoors for the winter.

Is it poisonous?

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

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Fu, G.A. (2004). [Cycas lingshuigensis.] Bulletin of Botanical Research (Harbin) 24(4): 387–388, fig. [Original description; not consulted, reference taken from The World List of Cycads, IPNI and Hill (2008).]
  • Hill, K.D. (2008). The genus Cycas (Cycadaceae) in China. Telopea 12(1): 71–118. doi:10.7751/telopea20085804 [Correction of the spelling, type, synonymy with Cycas hainanensis (p. 99), description and habitat of the Hainan plants; full text consulted.]
  • Feng, X.-Y., Wang, X.-H., Chiang, Y.-C., Jian, S.-G. & Gong, X. (2021). Species delimitation with distinct methods based on molecular data to elucidate species boundaries in the Cycas taiwaniana complex (Cycadaceae). Taxon 70(3): 477–491. doi:10.1002/tax.12457 [Six taxa studied, Cycas lingshuigensis included in Cycas taiwaniana; abstract consulted on Crossref.]
  • Wu, L.X., Xu, H.Y., Jian, S.G., Gong, X. & Feng, X.Y. (2022). Geographic factors and climatic fluctuation drive the genetic structure and demographic history of Cycas taiwaniana (Cycadaceae), an endemic endangered species to Hainan Island in China. Ecology and Evolution 12: e9508. doi:10.1002/ece3.9508 [Genetic diversity and structure of the Hainan populations, national protection; full text consulted on Europe PMC.]
  • Hill, K.D. (2010). Cycas taiwaniana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T42049A10638039. [Assessment of the accepted name (EN); cited by The World List of Cycads, Red List page not consulted (access blocked).]
  • Bösenberg, J.D. (2023). Cycas taiwaniana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T238708222A69827031. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T238708222A69827031.en [Reassessment of the accepted name, with Cycas lingshuigensis as a synonym; reference checked on Crossref, category EN relayed by GBIF, text not consulted.]
  • 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.]