Cycas segmentifida

Cycas segmentifida is a cycad of south-west China, found in the valleys of the You River basin, between western Guangxi, southern Guizhou and south-eastern Yunnan, and possibly also in northern Vietnam. This member of the genus Cycas, with a largely underground trunk, was described in 1995 by the Chinese botanists D. Y. Wang and C. Y. Deng. Two characters mark it out: the petiole of the year’s new leaves, bluish and often pruinose, and the sterile part of the megasporophylls, deeply cut into segments that are sometimes forked, which gave it its name. Several cycads described later from the same region are now included in it, among them Cycas multifida and Cycas xilingensis. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.

Key facts about Cycas segmentifida

  • Accepted name: Cycas segmentifida D.Yue Wang & C.Y.Deng (1995), accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15); POWO could not be consulted directly
  • Former names and synonyms: Cycas multifida and Cycas xilingensis (1997), Cycas longiconifera (1998); according to The World List of Cycads, also Cycas acuminatissima (1998) and Cycas crassipes (1999), which Hill (2008) places under Cycas sexseminifera; Cycas longlinensis (1997), long attached to the species, belongs to Cycas guizhouensis according to molecular studies (see Taxonomy)
  • Family: Cycadaceae, order Cycadales; section Stangerioides (Hill 2008)
  • Common names: no English name attested; in Chinese 叉孢苏铁 (cha bao su tie), according to the Flora of China
  • Natural range: China (western Guangxi, southern Guizhou, south-eastern Yunnan); presence in northern Vietnam uncertain
  • IUCN status: Endangered (EN); assessment by H. T. Nguyen (2010, criterion A2cd), category kept by the reassessment by J. D. Bösenberg (2020, published in 2023)
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix II (seeds exempt under annotation #4); Annex B in the European Union
  • Documented hardiness: a seedling came through −4 °C (24.8 °F) under a tunnel and fleece near Nantes, in western France; one plant lost to rot in northern Italy (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: in the wild, partial shade in broadleaf or mixed forest, on steep slopes, from limestone to shales and sandstones, between 600 and 900 m (Flora of China; Hill 2008)
  • Habit and adult size: trunk underground or short (up to 0.5 to 0.7 m above ground); leaves 1.2 to 3.3 m long depending on the source
  • In the UK, US and Australia: Royal Botanic Garden Sydney (three plants of wild origin from China, 1999); Montgomery Botanical Center (Florida); no British garden found
  • Toxicity: no data specific to the species; to be treated as poisonous, like all cycads (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Cycas segmentifida

It is recognised above all by its petioles and its megasporophylls. According to the Flora of China, the petiole is blue in its first year, then green; Feng, Liu and Gong (2016), following the original description, describe it as usually pruinose. The sterile part of the megasporophylls (the fertile leaves of female plants), ovate or rounded, is deeply comb-like, and its lateral segments are sometimes forked or divided dichotomously. Hill (2008) distinguishes it from the other Chinese cycads of section Stangerioides by its small seeds, its broad leaflets, held flat on the rachis with flat or wavy margins, and the large sterile part of its megasporophylls, ending in a broad apical spine.

The published descriptions do not entirely agree:

  • Trunk: absent or up to 0.5 m tall, 10 to 23 cm across, with 8 to 25 leaves (Hill 2008); underground, protruding up to 70 cm above the soil and 70 cm across, with dark brown, scaly bark (Flora of China).
  • Leaves: dark green, very glossy, 1.2 to 2.8 m long, with 80 to 190 leaflets (Hill); 2 to 3.3 m long and 45 to 60 cm wide, with 55 to 110 pairs of leaflets (Flora of China).
  • Petiole: 40 to 140 cm, spiny for almost its whole length (Hill); 0.6 to 1.5 m, with 25 to 55 spines on each side (Flora of China).
  • Leaflets: 12 to 42 cm long and 9 to 20 mm wide, clearly two-toned, with flat or sometimes wavy margins and a sharp but not prickly tip according to Hill; 21 to 40 cm long and 1.2 to 1.8 cm wide, with a prickly tip, according to the Flora of China.
  • Male cones: yellow, spindle-shaped or narrowly ellipsoid, 30 to 60 cm long and 5 to 12 cm across, with soft microsporophylls.
  • Megasporophylls: 10 to 25 cm long depending on the source, with yellowish or brown felt, bearing 2 to 8 hairless ovules; sterile part 5 to 13 cm long, with 16 to 45 lateral segments and a distinct apical spine; the Flora of China counts 25 to 50, closely packed, per female plant.
  • Seeds: almost spherical, 28 to 35 mm by 24 to 30 mm; pale yellow sarcotesta (fleshy coat) without a fibrous layer; hard, finely warty shell (Hill 2008; Flora of China).

The figures above come from Hill and the Flora of China.

Hybrids

No hybrid is documented, either in the wild or in cultivation. The difficulty with this species lies rather in its limits: several plants from the same region, described separately, turned out to be forms of a single variable species (see Taxonomy).

Possible confusion

The most frequent confusion is with Cycas guizhouensis. According to Feng, Liu and Gong (2016), the two species occupy different river basins, the You for Cycas segmentifida and the Nanpan for Cycas guizhouensis, and are easily told apart by their leaves and megasporophylls. Quoting Jones (1998), these authors credit Cycas guizhouensis with spindle-shaped male cones, loose and open female cones, densely hairy sporophylls and an almost round apical lobe; but Hill (2008) also describes spindle-shaped male cones in Cycas segmentifida, so that this character alone is not enough.

The Flora of China compares it with two other species. It differs from Cycas szechuanensis in its underground trunk, its young blue petioles and its broader leaflets. It is close to Cycas balansae, but its range is larger and further north, its young petioles are blue and carry much shorter spines, and its megasporophylls, more numerous (30 to 50 together), have more segments.

Taxonomy

Cycas segmentifida is accepted by The World List of Cycads; POWO could not be consulted. D. Y. Wang and C. Y. Deng described it in 1995 in the journal Encephalartos (43: 11–14), from a plant grown at the South China Botanical Garden in Guangzhou (Wang and Peng 2967, 16 May 1994; holotype in the SZG herbarium). The original description could not be read: its data are cited by The World List of Cycads, Hill (2008) and Feng, Liu and Gong (2016). Hill places the species in section Stangerioides, which brings together the cycads of China and Vietnam with soft male cones, hairless ovules, a sarcotesta without a fibrous layer and a warty shell.

In the following years, several very similar species were described from the same region, each on one or two characters: Cycas longlinensis, Cycas multifida and Cycas xilingensis in 1997, Cycas longiconifera and Cycas acuminatissima in 1998, Cycas crassipes in 1999. Chen and Stevenson (1999), in the Flora of China, combined the five names of 1997 and 1998 under Cycas segmentifida. Hill (2008) followed this choice, except for Cycas acuminatissima and Cycas crassipes, which he places under Cycas sexseminifera: their types come from the range of that species, and the illustrations in the original descriptions match it.

The molecular study by Feng, Liu and Gong (2016), based on chloroplast DNA, nuclear genes and microsatellites from eight taxa of the “Cycas segmentifida complex”, recognised only two species: Cycas guizhouensis, which includes Cycas longlinensis, and Cycas segmentifida, which includes the other five. The World List of Cycads now follows this delimitation and places acuminatissima, crassipes, longiconifera, multifida and xilingensis under Cycas segmentifida, but not longlinensis. Species+ still lists longlinensis among its synonyms. In practice, a plant sold as Cycas multifida or Cycas xilingensis is today called Cycas segmentifida, while a Cycas longlinensis corresponds, according to this study, to Cycas guizhouensis.

A second study by the same team (Feng and colleagues 2017), covering 14 populations, found high genetic diversity and two evolutionary units within the species, whose lineages separated in the Middle Pleistocene, with no clear geographic structure.

The sources consulted give only the herbarium code SZG for the holotype.

Etymology and history

The epithet comes from the Latin segmentum, “segment”, and fidus, “split, divided”, referring to the lateral spines of the sterile part of the megasporophylls, finely branched dichotomously (The World List of Cycads, after Haynes 2022; Hill 2008).

The history of the species is linked to cultivation: its type is a plant grown at the South China Botanical Garden. Hill (2008) considers that an unidentified species reported in 1991 from Longlin county, in north-western Guangxi, probably corresponded to this one.

Common names

No English or French name is attested. The Flora of China gives the Chinese name 叉孢苏铁 (cha bao su tie).

In the wild

Cycas segmentifida lives in south-west China, mainly along the You River, in south-western Guizhou, north-western Guangxi and eastern Yunnan (Feng and colleagues 2016). The populations studied under this name by Feng and colleagues are at Wangmo (Guizhou), Funing and Guangnan (Yunnan) and Tianlin (Guangxi); Hill (2008) also cites collections from Xilin county, in Guangxi, the type locality of Cycas xilingensis and Cycas multifida, and from Debao county. According to Hill, the species was once extremely widespread in western Guangxi and extended only to a limited extent into southern Guizhou and eastern Yunnan. The World List of Cycads and Species+ also mention Vietnam, the former with a question mark.

It grows on varied rocks, from limestone to shales, usually on the steep slopes of the lower valleys, on often skeletal soil; the vegetation ranges from closed evergreen forest to mixed woodland, now mostly degraded to grassland or secondary scrub (Hill 2008). The Flora of China records it on lateritic soils derived from sandstone, in partial shade in broadleaf or mixed forest, between 600 and 900 m; pollination takes place from March to June and the seeds ripen in November and December.

The Xingyi populations of south-western Guizhou studied by Feng and colleagues (2016) are Cycas guizhouensis.

Conservation status and regulation

The IUCN lists Cycas segmentifida as Endangered (EN). The World List of Cycads cites the assessment by H. T. Nguyen (2010), under criterion A2cd, that is a strong population decline linked to habitat loss and exploitation. A more recent assessment, by J. D. Bösenberg (dated 2020 and published in version 2023-1 of the Red List), could not be read; the Endangered category still appears in the Red List data distributed by GBIF (consulted on 21 October 2026). Donaldson (2003) still listed it as Vulnerable (VU), an outdated category repeated by some compilations.

Hill (2008) describes a species once fairly abundant over much of western Guangxi but now greatly depleted. Feng and colleagues (2017) point out that Chinese cycads suffer from over-collection, for their edible trunk and as ornamentals, and from the destruction of their habitat for commercial crops; they recommend protecting the habitat, collecting seed or seedlings from the different populations and raising awareness among farmers. Zheng and colleagues (2017) add that in south-west China, where rainfall has risen by 22 to 33% since 1961, mudflows and landslides have ruined habitats: field surveys found only six seedlings of Cycas longiconifera, now included in Cycas segmentifida, in Guangxi, where more populations had been recorded, and they name debris flows as the main threat to the species in Guangxi.

Like all species of the genus except Cycas beddomei, Cycas segmentifida is listed in CITES Appendix II, where the Cycadaceae family has been listed since 4 February 1977. Annotation #4 (CoP20 version, in force since 5 March 2026) exempts in particular seeds, pollen, and seedlings and tissue cultures obtained in vitro in sterile containers, while international trade in live plants still requires permits. In the European Union, the species is in Annex B of Regulation (EC) No 338/97, as set by Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, in force since 29 June 2026. Species+, the official CITES database, confirms this status (consulted on 13 October 2026). This information does not replace the official texts: check the regulations in force before any purchase or exchange, ask the seller for proof of origin and prefer plants raised from seed in cultivation.

Growing Cycas segmentifida

The species is grown in China, as its type, taken from a plant at the South China Botanical Garden, shows, and Hill (2008) mentions plants grown in towns of the region, taken from the surrounding countryside. No institution consulted has, however, published growing advice. The habitat described by the floras, well-drained slopes in partial shade, suggests a plant that dislikes standing water, but that is a deduction, not a growing result.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

No result in the ground has been published anywhere outside China. In the United States and Australia, the species is grown in botanic gardens in subtropical climates (see below), but without published observations.

Container cultivation

Seed circulated among French growers around 2011–2012, according to posts on the Fous de palmiers forum mentioning its purchase or expected arrival. The only detailed growing report concerns a seedling (see Cold hardiness). In Italy, a grower near Ravenna (Emilia-Romagna) reports on the Tropicamente forum in May 2011 that he lost a Cycas segmentifida to rot, in a climate he describes as very wet in winter, without saying whether it was in a pot or in the ground. A free-draining compost and protection from winter wet are therefore the prudent choices.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

  • United Kingdom: no garden was found that lists it.
  • United States: Montgomery Botanical Center (Coral Gables, Florida) lists one accession in its online catalogue.
  • Australia: the online catalogue of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney (consulted on 21 October 2026) lists three plants of wild origin from China (accessions S1999-0227, S1999-0228 and S1999-0229), in beds 51j and 82c.

The species is very rare in cultivation outside China, and no English-language growing report was found.

Propagation

By seed, the only method documented for the cycads of this section; no germination time or rate specific to the species has been published. The plant is dioecious: a male and a female plant are needed to obtain seed. Seeds are exempt from CITES under annotation #4. Only look for seed or plants of legal, documented origin.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease specific to the species is documented in the sources consulted. The only problem reported in cultivation in Europe is rot, in Italy, during a wet winter (see Container cultivation). The cycad scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui, attacks many Cycas in cultivation but has not been documented on this species.

Cold hardiness

No cold tolerance value has been measured on adult plants of Cycas segmentifida. It lives in subtropical valleys between 600 and 900 m, but no source gives the minima it experiences there.

European experience

Only one report has been found. A grower in the Nantes area, south of the Loire, in western France, reports on the Fous de palmiers forum in September 2013 that a seedling from his 2012 sowing spent the winter of 2012–2013 in a tunnel, under horticultural fleece, with a minimum of about −4 °C (24.8 °F), without damage. This is a very young plant in sheltered cultivation: the result says nothing about how an adult plant would fare in the ground. The only other European report is the loss to rot near Ravenna in 2011, with no temperature recorded. No result has been published from the French Mediterranean coast, and the Jardin zoologique tropical at La Londe-les-Maures (Var) has published no observations on the species.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

No growing report from these countries has been found. In the UK, where no garden lists it, it should be treated as a plant for a frost-free glasshouse.

Toxicity and precautions

It should be treated as poisonous, even though no analysis specific to Cycas segmentifida exists. The risk is well documented in the genus: the tissues of Cycas, and above all their seeds, contain cycasin, which digestion converts into methylazoxymethanol, toxic to the liver and nervous system, along with a neurotoxic amino acid, BMAA. The ASPCA lists the sago palm (Cycas revoluta) among plants toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Keep seeds and leaves out of reach of children and pets, 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 specific to the species is reliably documented. Feng and colleagues (2017) mention only, for Chinese cycads in general, the harvesting of the edible trunk and collection for ornament. Given the toxicity of the genus, this mention is in no way a recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

What does segmentifida mean?

“Divided into segments”, in Latin: the name refers to the lateral spines of the megasporophylls, deeply cut and sometimes forked.

How can I recognise it?

By its bluish petiole, often pruinose in its first year, and by the large sterile part of its megasporophylls, cut into many segments that are sometimes forked.

Where does it grow in the wild?

In south-west China, along the You River basin, between Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan; its presence in northern Vietnam is uncertain.

Are Cycas multifida and Cycas xilingensis different species?

No. They are synonyms of Cycas segmentifida for the Flora of China, Hill (2008), the 2016 molecular study and The World List of Cycads.

How does it differ from Cycas guizhouensis?

By its range and its reproductive organs. The two species live in different river basins (You and Nanpan) and differ in their leaves and megasporophylls; molecular studies separate them clearly.

Is it endangered?

Yes. The IUCN lists it as Endangered: much of its habitat is degraded, its populations have been depleted by collecting, and landslides and mudflows have destroyed populations in Guangxi.

Can it be grown outdoors in the UK?

No data allow it. A seedling came through −4 °C (24.8 °F) under a tunnel and fleece in western France, but no trial in the ground has been published and a plant was lost to rot in Italy: in the UK, keep it under frost-free glass and dry in winter.

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Wang, D.Y. & Deng, C.Y. (1995). [Cycas segmentifida]. Encephalartos 43: 11–14. [Original description; not consulted (journal not found online), cited after The World List of Cycads, Hill (2008) and Feng and colleagues (2016).]
  • Chen, C.J. & Stevenson, D.W. (1999). Cycadaceae. In Wu, Z.Y. & Raven, P.H. (eds), Flora of China, vol. 4: 1–7. Science Press, Beijing; Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St Louis. [Description, habitat, phenology, synonymy; consulted on eFloras.]
  • Hill, K.D. (2008). The genus Cycas (Cycadaceae) in China. Telopea 12(1): 71–118. doi:10.7751/telopea20085804 [Description, synonymy, range, habitat and status (pp. 85–86); acuminatissima and crassipes placed under Cycas sexseminifera (pp. 108–109); full text consulted.]
  • Feng, X., Liu, J. & Gong, X. (2016). Species delimitation of the Cycas segmentifida complex (Cycadaceae) resolved by phylogenetic and distance analyses of molecular data. Frontiers in Plant Science 7: 134. doi:10.3389/fpls.2016.00134 [Delimitation of the complex, characters, populations studied; peer-reviewed article, full text consulted.]
  • Feng, X., Liu, J., Chiang, Y.-C. & Gong, X. (2017). Investigating the genetic diversity, population differentiation and population dynamics of Cycas segmentifida (Cycadaceae) endemic to Southwest China by multiple molecular markers. Frontiers in Plant Science 8: 839. doi:10.3389/fpls.2017.00839 [Genetic diversity, two evolutionary units, threats, recommendations; full text consulted.]
  • Zheng, Y., Liu, J., Feng, X. & Gong, X. (2017). The distribution, diversity, and conservation status of Cycas in China. Ecology and Evolution 7(9): 3212–3224. doi:10.1002/ece3.2910 [Mudflows and landslides, six seedlings of Cycas longiconifera in Guangxi, debris flows as the main threat in Guangxi; full text consulted.]
  • Nguyen, H.T. (2010). Cycas segmentifida. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T42065A10641637. [EN A2cd assessment; reference taken from The World List of Cycads, page not consulted (access blocked).]
  • Bösenberg, J.D. (2023). Cycas segmentifida. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023: e.T42065A69156855. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T42065A69156855.en [Reassessment (dated 2020); Crossref metadata consulted, EN category from GBIF, text not consulted.]
  • Haynes, J.L. (2022). Etymological compendium of cycad names. Phytotaxa 550(1): 1–31. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.550.1.1 [Etymology taken up 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.]