Cycas seshachalamensis

Cycas seshachalamensis is a cycad from southern India, known only from the foothills of the Seshachalam Hills in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, where it grows in dry deciduous forest between 200 and 600 m above sea level. This species of the genus Cycas was described in 2016 by Indian foresters and botanists, who found it while surveying the biodiversity of the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve. It is recognised by its creeping underground stem, from which rises a trunk with an abruptly swollen base, and by leaves carrying up to 231 leaflets. The IUCN has not yet assessed it; its authors consider it Critically Endangered.

Key facts about Cycas seshachalamensis

  • Accepted name: Cycas seshachalamensis P.V.C.Rao, N.V.S.Prasad, P.M.Babu, K.Prassad & Prasanna (2016), accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15) and by GBIF; POWO could not be consulted
  • Former names and synonyms: none
  • Family: Cycadaceae, order Cycadales
  • Common names: none attested, in English or in Telugu
  • Natural range: India, Andhra Pradesh, foothills of the Seshachalam Hills (Chittoor district)
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE) according to The World List of Cycads and GBIF; proposed as Critically Endangered by its authors
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix II through the listing of the whole family (seeds exempt under annotation #4); Annex B in the European Union
  • Documented hardiness: no data (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: in the wild, dry deciduous forest between 200 and 600 m; no cultivation data
  • Habit and adult size: trunk 2 to 4.5 m tall, with a swollen base, branched or unbranched; leaves 1.57 to 1.86 m long
  • In the UK, US and Australia: no garden or nursery record found
  • Toxicity: no data specific to the species; treat it as poisonous, like all Cycas (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Cycas seshachalamensis

Among its Indian relatives, Cycas seshachalamensis stands out by its creeping underground stem, from which a cylindrical trunk with an abruptly swollen base rises, by its leaves with 145 to 231 leaflets, by its hairy cataphylls (the scale leaves that protect the growing point) and by its spindle-shaped male cones (Rao et al. 2016). The description below follows the original account, the only detailed description published.

  • Stem: an underground, spreading stem bearing a cylindrical trunk 2 to 4.5 m tall, branched or not, with an abruptly swollen base; the protologue gives a diameter of “ca. 104 cm”, a figure that presumably refers to the swollen base. The bark is light grey and thick, with persistent leaf bases.
  • Leaves: deep green and glossy, 1.57 to 1.86 m long, flat in section (not keeled), with 145 to 231 leaflets and a brown down that is shed as the leaf expands; the rachis never ends in a spine.
  • Petiole: 26 to 37 cm long (15 to 30% of the leaf), hairless, with short, straight spines about 2 mm long along 30 to 60% of its length.
  • Leaflets: the median ones strongly sickle-shaped, 21 to 31.5 cm long and 9 to 10 mm wide, with slightly recurved margins and an acute or spine-tipped apex, set 8 to 11 mm apart; the midrib is strongly raised below. The basal leaflets are not reduced to spines (14 to 18 cm by 6 to 8 mm).
  • Cataphylls: narrowly triangular, pungent, 5.5 to 6.5 cm long, densely covered in orange-brown hairs, persistent.
  • Male cones: spindle-shaped, orange-brown or light brown, 26 to 30.5 cm long and 9 to 12 cm wide; the microsporophylls are firm, with a sterile tip 6 to 11 mm long and a gradually raised apical spine 11 to 13 mm long, spreading or slightly upturned.
  • Megasporophylls: 15 to 20 cm long, with persistent orange-brown or grey down, carrying 8 to 12 hairless ovules; the ovule-bearing part is linear, 7 to 9 cm long, and the broadly ovate sterile blade carries 18 to 30 short lateral spines (2 to 4 mm) and an apical spine 8 to 12 mm long.
  • Seeds: almost spherical, 2 to 3 cm long and 2 to 2.5 cm wide; the fleshy coat (sarcotesta), green turning yellow, is 3 to 4 mm thick, without a fibrous layer, and the smooth stony layer has no spongy tissue.

Hybrids

No hybrid is documented for this species.

Possible confusion

The authors compared it with three Indian species to which they considered it closely allied, in a table of characters (Rao et al. 2016):

  • Cycas circinalis has no underground stem, semi-glossy leaves with fewer leaflets (54 to 110), ovoid to conical male cones whose microsporophylls end in a longer spine (2 to 3.9 cm), and larger, elongated seeds (3 to 3.9 cm).
  • Cycas sphaerica, of the Eastern Ghats, has shorter leaves (95 to 185 cm) with 55 to 130 leaflets, narrowly ovoid orange male cones, and megasporophylls with longer lateral spines (5 to 10 mm) and a longer apical spine (17 to 29 mm). The protologue spells its name “Cycas spherica”; the accepted spelling is Cycas sphaerica.
  • Cycas swamyi, which The World List of Cycads now includes in Cycas indica, has shorter leaves (75 to 150 cm) with 70 to 150 smaller leaflets (13 to 21 cm by 6 to 9 mm), a shorter petiole, oblong male cones about 50 cm long, and spherical seeds whose coat turns reddish brown when ripe.

No later study of the species is documented, so these differences rest on the original description alone.

Taxonomy

Cycas seshachalamensis is a name accepted by The World List of Cycads and by GBIF; POWO could not be consulted. The species was described in 2016 in the Asian Journal of Conservation Biology (5(1): 55–58) by P.V. Chalapathi Rao, a conservator of forests in Andhra Pradesh, N.V. Sivaram Prasad, P. Madhu Babu, K. Prasad and P.V. Prasanna, the last two of the Botanical Survey of India. The type (N.V. Sivaram Prasad and P. Madhu Babu 401) was collected on 24 May 2012 near Mayurasarovaram, in the Bakarapet forest area of the Chamala Range, at 520 m; the holotype is held by the Central National Herbarium of India (CAL), an isotype by the Botanical Survey of India herbarium at Hyderabad (BSID). The World List of Cycads spells the fourth author “K.Prassad”; the original article reads “K. Prasad”.

According to its authors, its seed and megasporophyll characters place it in section Cycas, subsection Cycas, a group of about sixteen species distributed from India and Sri Lanka to Luzon and New Guinea, which is particularly diverse in India (Rao et al. 2016). The World List of Cycads lists no synonym.

Etymology and history

The epithet refers to the type locality, the Seshachalam Hills, the only area where the species is known (Rao et al. 2016; Haynes 2022). The authors noticed a population that differed from the other Indian cycads while inventorying the biodiversity of the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve, part of the Eastern Ghats, at the foot of the reserve in the Chamala forest range; the specimens cited were collected between May 2012 and November 2014. No introduction into cultivation is documented.

Common names

No common name is attested for this species, in English or in Telugu, the language of Andhra Pradesh.

In the wild

Cycas seshachalamensis is rare in the foothills of the Seshachalam Hills, in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. It generally grows in dry deciduous forest between 200 and 600 m above sea level; the specimens cited were collected between 500 and 540 m. Cones appear from February to May (Rao et al. 2016). No study of its pollination and no population count have been published.

Conservation status and regulation

The IUCN has not assessed Cycas seshachalamensis: The World List of Cycads and the Red List data relayed by GBIF give it as Not Evaluated (NE) (consulted on 24 October 2026). Its authors estimate its extent of occurrence at under 100 km² and its area of occupancy at under 10 km², and propose the category Critically Endangered (CR, criteria B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v)); they do not describe the threats in detail. This proposal has not been reviewed by the IUCN.

Like every species in the genus except Cycas beddomei, Cycas seshachalamensis falls under CITES Appendix II, where the family Cycadaceae has been included since 4 February 1977. Annotation #4 (CoP20 version, in force since 5 March 2026) exempts seeds, pollen, seedlings and 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. Species+, the official CITES database, does not yet list this name, published in 2016 (searches of 3 and 13 October 2026, checked again on 24 October 2026): protection follows from the listing of the whole family, which covers every species, named or not. The United Kingdom, the United States and Australia apply CITES through their own legislation; in the European Union the species falls under Annex B of Regulation (EC) No 338/97, as set by Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, applicable since 29 June 2026. This information was checked in October 2026 and does not replace the official texts: check the rules in force, ask for proof of origin and prefer plants raised from seed in cultivation.

Growing Cycas seshachalamensis

In short: no institution consulted documents it in cultivation and no grower’s report has been published.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

The points below are deductions from its habitat, not documented results. A cycad of tropical dry deciduous forest, with a marked dry season and no frost, it is likely to need warmth, good light and a free-draining soil, with water concentrated in the growing season. Outdoors, only frost-free tropical or subtropical climates can be considered, such as southern Florida or northern Australia.

Container cultivation

In the United Kingdom and other temperate regions, the only realistic option would be a pot in a heated glasshouse or conservatory, in a free-draining mix. No European experience exists.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

In short: no record. The species does not appear in the BGCI PlantSearch database or in the online catalogue of Montgomery Botanical Center (both consulted on 24 October 2026), nor in the British, American and Australian catalogues checked in October 2026, which is not surprising for a species described in 2016. The British nursery Trebrown has no page for it. No report from a private grower is documented.

Propagation

The plant is dioecious: seed requires a male and a female plant. No germination data specific to the species have been published. Seeds are exempt from CITES under annotation #4; in the absence of any plant in cultivation, any seed offered should be treated with caution and bought only with documented, legal origin.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease specific to the species is documented. In cultivation, as with any Cycas, scales such as Aulacaspis yasumatsui can attack it, and overwatering or poor drainage rots the trunk and roots.

Cold hardiness

No cold-tolerance data exist for Cycas seshachalamensis. It lives in a tropical climate with a dry season and no frost, and nothing suggests that it can take frost.

Mediterranean and European experience

No cultivation result has been published in Europe, in the open ground or in a pot, and no dated frost episode concerns this species.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

No cold reading is documented in any country, and no nursery gives a hardiness rating. Treat it as a frost-tender plant: a heated glasshouse in the UK, frost-free tropical gardens elsewhere.

Toxicity and precautions

No toxicity study specific to Cycas seshachalamensis has been published, 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. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, treat this species 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

Where does Cycas seshachalamensis grow?

Only in the foothills of the Seshachalam Hills, in Chittoor district (Andhra Pradesh, India), in dry deciduous forest between 200 and 600 m.

When was it described?

In 2016, from plants found during a biodiversity survey of the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve; the type was collected in May 2012.

How can it be recognised?

By its creeping underground stem, its trunk with an abruptly swollen base, its leaves with 145 to 231 leaflets, its hairy cataphylls and its spindle-shaped male cones.

How does it differ from Cycas circinalis?

Cycas circinalis has no underground stem, carries fewer leaflets (54 to 110) and has larger, elongated seeds.

Is it endangered?

Probably, but it has not been assessed. The IUCN has not evaluated it; its authors consider it Critically Endangered, with an area of occupancy under 10 km².

Can I grow it in the UK?

Only under glass, if plants ever become available: no cold data exist, it is a tropical species, and no plant is recorded in cultivation.

Is it poisonous?

It should be assumed so. No analysis exists for this species, but all the Cycas studied contain dangerous toxins, above all in the seeds.

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Rao, P.V.C., Prasad, N.V.S., Babu, P.M., Prasad, K. & Prasanna, P.V. (2016). Cycas seshachalamensis (Cycadaceae), a new cycad from Andhra Pradesh, India. Asian Journal of Conservation Biology 5(1): 55–58. [Original description, comparison table with Cycas circinalis, Cycas sphaerica and Cycas swamyi, proposed conservation status; full text consulted (PDF linked from The World List of Cycads).]
  • Lindström, A.J. & Hill, K.D. (2007). The genus Cycas (Cycadaceae) in India. Telopea 11(4): 463–488. [Revision of the Indian Cycas cited by the original description; not consulted for this page.]
  • 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.]