Zamia amplifolia

Zamia amplifolia is a very rare cycad from Colombia, known only from the department of Valle del Cauca, on the Pacific side of the Andes. This species of the genus Zamia carries few leaflets, six to ten pairs per leaf, but they are huge: up to 50 cm long and 15 cm wide, deeply grooved between the veins, which gives them a pleated look. Described in 1878 from plants grown in England by the nurseryman William Bull, it has been collected only a handful of times in the wild. It is rated Endangered by the IUCN.

Key facts about Zamia amplifolia

  • Accepted name: Zamia amplifolia W.Bull ex Mast. (1878), accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15) and by GBIF; POWO could not be consulted directly
  • Former names and synonyms: none
  • Family: Zamiaceae, order Cycadales
  • Common names: no name attested, in English or in Spanish
  • Natural range: Colombia, department of Valle del Cauca (endemic)
  • IUCN status: Endangered (EN), criteria B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v), assessment published in 2022
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix II (whole genus, since 1977; seeds exempt under annotation #4); Annex B in the European Union
  • Documented hardiness: no data (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: lowland rainforest of the Colombian Pacific; no cultivation data
  • Habit and adult size: tree-forming (stem height not reliably documented); 3 to 6 leaves 1 to 2 m long, with 6 to 10 pairs of leaflets 30 to 50 cm by 12 to 15 cm
  • In the UK, US and Australia: no record in BGCI or in the online catalogues consulted; the type material, however, comes from plants grown in a London nursery and is kept at Kew
  • Toxicity: no data specific to the species; treat it as poisonous, like all cycads (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Zamia amplifolia

The leaflets are enough: few, very broad, with an entire margin and so deeply grooved between the veins on the upper side that they look pleated. According to the Flora de Colombia (Stevenson, 2001), no other Zamia combines such deeply grooved leaflets with an entire margin. Its description gives:

  • Habit: arborescent plants. The online version of the flora gives a stem “up to 2.5 cm tall”, which cannot be right for a tree-forming plant and is probably a typing error; the true height of the trunk is not documented.
  • Cataphylls: triangular at the base, with a lanceolate tip, 2 to 3 cm long and 1 to 2 cm wide.
  • Leaves: 3 to 6, 1 to 2 m long; petiole 0.5 to 1 m, with scattered to dense prickles; rachis with 6 to 10 pairs of leaflets, occasionally with a few prickles in its lower third.
  • Leaflets: stalkless, elliptic, the middle ones 30 to 50 cm long and 12 to 15 cm wide, grooved between the veins on the upper surface and pleated in appearance, with a wedge-shaped base, an acuminate tip and an entire margin.
  • Male cones: yellowish to light brown, narrowly cylindrical, 8 to 12 cm long and 1 to 2 cm in diameter.
  • Female cones: brown, short-stalked, cylindrical to ovoid-cylindrical, 20 to 40 cm (sometimes 50 cm) long and 8 to 12 cm in diameter.
  • Seeds: red, ovoid, 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter.
  • Chromosomes: 2n = 18 (Norstog, 1980, cited by the flora).

The original description of Zamia oligodonta (2003) gives a slightly different picture of the leaflet tip: it describes those of Zamia amplifolia as even thicker, more symmetrical and more elliptic than those of Zamia oligodonta, with neither teeth nor an acuminate tip, and with grooves twice as wide. The two sources therefore disagree on the shape of the tip.

Hybrids

No hybrid, natural or garden-made, has been documented.

Possible confusion

Its large pleated leaflets bring it close to a few other Zamia, but the entire margin of the leaflets sets it apart:

  • Zamia skinneri, from Panama, has similar pleated leaflets, and Zamia amplifolia has been mistaken for it (Whitelock, 2002, cited by Taylor and colleagues, 2008). Origin is a useful guide: Panama for one, Colombia (Valle del Cauca) for the other.
  • Zamia wallisii, from Antioquia, and Zamia dressleri, from central Panama, also have very broad, grooved leaflets. In its commentary on Zamia amplifolia, the Flora de Colombia recalls that Norstog and Nicholls (1997) pointed out the similarity between Zamia wallisii and Zamia dressleri, and notes that the lack of reproductive material of Zamia amplifolia prevents any relationship from being confirmed. In the same flora, Zamia wallisii is described with stalked leaflets, whereas those of Zamia amplifolia are stalkless.
  • Zamia chigua, from the same Pacific region of Colombia, has the opposite leaf: 40 to 80 pairs of narrow leaflets, 1 to 1.5 cm wide. An adult plant cannot be mistaken for it.
  • Zamia oligodonta, from Risaralda, has a few teeth near the tip of its leaflets, which those of Zamia amplifolia lack according to the original description of Zamia oligodonta (see above).

On the French forum Fous de palmiers, a French-speaking amateur who had seen the species in the wild found it, in January 2013, “very, very similar” to Zamia dressleri.

Taxonomy

Zamia amplifolia is an accepted name according to The World List of Cycads and GBIF; POWO could not be consulted directly. The name was published in 1878 by the British botanist Maxwell Tylden Masters in The Gardeners’ Chronicle (new series, 10: 810), from plants grown in the London nursery of William Bull, hence the author citation “W.Bull ex Mast.”. The name has no synonym.

Its typification has had several twists. As the original material could not be traced, Stevenson and Sabato (1986) designated a neotype, a collection from Valle del Cauca (Kiem and Norstog 30, herbarium FTG, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden); this is the type cited by the Flora de Colombia in 2001. Anders Lindström (2009, Taxon) later designated a lectotype among Bull’s original material (W. Bull 1473, kept at Kew), which The World List of Cycads now accepts as the type, with an isolectotype in the same herbarium. Under the botanical code, a neotype is superseded when original material is found, which is why the type changed.

Its relationships remain uncertain. The Flora de Colombia notes that other species of the biogeographic Chocó, such as Zamia chigua and Zamia obliqua, have disjunct populations in central and southern Panama, which makes a link with Panamanian species plausible without proving it. The transcriptome study of Lindstrom and colleagues (2024) included a sample from Valle del Cauca, but its text does not discuss the position of the species.

Etymology and history

The epithet comes from the Latin amplus, “large, ample”, and folium, “leaf” (Haynes, 2022, cited by The World List of Cycads). As the Flora de Colombia points out, the name speaks of the leaves but really refers to the size of the leaflets.

The history of the species is mostly the story of its rarity. According to the same flora, in 120 years it had been collected very few times, and only in vegetative state: besides the type, three collections (Bernal 1460; Daly and colleagues 5971, between 30 and 50 m above sea level; Watts 83). The World List of Cycads also holds photographs taken in the wild in 2009, 2014 and 2015.

Common names

No vernacular name specific to the species is attested, in English or in Spanish. In Colombia, “chigua” is a name for cycads in general and the epithet of another species, Zamia chigua; no published source applies it specifically to Zamia amplifolia.

In the wild

Zamia amplifolia is endemic to Colombia: The World List of Cycads records it only in the department of Valle del Cauca. According to the Flora de Colombia, it is known from the type and three other collections made near the type locality, one of them at 30 to 50 m above sea level. The flora counts it among the species of the biogeographic Chocó, one of the wettest regions in the world.

No published source describes its microhabitat, its pollinators or its reproductive biology in detail. On the French forum Fous de palmiers, a French-speaking amateur back from Colombia reported in October 2012 that he had seen two populations of the species, which he described as “ultra rare”, with “immense leaves”.

Conservation status and regulation

Zamia amplifolia is rated Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, in the assessment by Cristina López-Gallego published in 2022, under criteria B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v): a very small range and area of occupancy, with a decline in habitat quality and in the number of mature individuals (The World List of Cycads; GBIF gives the same category; the Red List itself could not be consulted). As early as 2001, the Flora de Colombia considered it very rare and named clearing of the forest for coffee plantations as the threat to its few known populations.

Like all Zamia except Zamia restrepoi, Zamia amplifolia falls under CITES Appendix II, where the genus has been listed since 4 February 1977. International trade in the plants requires an export permit issued by the country of origin. The listing carries annotation #4: seeds, pollen, seedlings and tissue cultures obtained in vitro and transported in sterile containers are not covered by CITES. In the European Union the species falls under Annex B of Regulation (EC) No 338/97, whose current list is set by Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, applicable since 29 June 2026.

Species+ has no separate entry for this species: it is covered by the listing “Zamia spp.”. This general information does not replace the official texts: check the regulations in force before buying or exchanging plants, ask the seller for proof of origin and prefer plants raised from seed in cultivation.

Growing Zamia amplifolia

The species entered horticulture in Victorian England, in William Bull’s nursery, but no recent growing experience has been published and no advice specific to it exists. The only guide is its habitat: lowland rainforest on the Pacific side of Colombia, hot and humid all year.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

No outdoor cultivation has been documented anywhere outside its range. Only a frost-free, hot and humid tropical climate could be considered for planting out; this is a deduction from the habitat, not a tested result.

Container cultivation

No trial has been published. By analogy with its habitat, a pot plant would need warmth all year, high humidity, filtered light and a free-draining compost that never dries out completely; its large leaves also need room. In cool climates this means a heated glasshouse; this framework is deduced from the habitat and has not been confirmed by published trials.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

In short: no living plant is documented in these three countries.

  • United Kingdom: no record in BGCI or in the online catalogues of British gardens (Edinburgh, Cambridge, Chelsea Physic Garden). The lectotype and isolectotype, which are herbarium specimens from Bull’s plants, are kept at Kew.
  • United States: no record in BGCI or in the online catalogue of Montgomery Botanical Center (queried on 24 October 2026). The neotype designated in 1986 is a herbarium specimen held at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTG), not a living plant.
  • Australia: no record in BGCI or in the online catalogues of Australian gardens.

Outside these countries, BGCI lists three gardens: the botanic gardens of Bogotá and Medellín in Colombia, and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden in Thailand (queried on 24 October 2026). A BGCI declaration shows that a garden held the plant at some point, not that it is alive today.

Propagation

No data specific to the species. Like all Zamia, it has separate male and female plants: both are needed to obtain seed, and in cultivation hand pollination is usually necessary. Seeds are exempt from CITES under annotation #4, but they must come from plants of legal origin.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease specific to the species has been documented. In cultivation, scale insects are, as in all cycads, the commonest pest.

Cold hardiness

No measured data exist on the tolerance of Zamia amplifolia to cold, heat or drought. It lives in frost-free tropical lowland rainforest, and nothing suggests that it can withstand frost.

Mediterranean and European experience

No growing result has been published in France or elsewhere in Europe, in the ground or in a pot. The French forum Fous de palmiers mentions the species only for observations in the wild, in Colombia, and no dated frost episode concerns it. The Jardin zoologique tropical at La Londe-les-Maures, in the Var, has published no observation of this species. Even in a Mediterranean climate, it belongs in a warm glasshouse.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

No growing report or cold record has been published. The temperature thresholds that circulate on the internet for this species rest on no published measurement and are not repeated here; for a frost-free tropical forest plant, a heated glasshouse remains the only prudent choice in temperate climates.

Toxicity and precautions

No toxicity study specific to Zamia amplifolia has been published. The risk is, however, documented in the genus and in other cycads: Zamia contain toxic glycosides (cycasin, macrozamin), from which methylazoxymethanol is derived, and for Zamia furfuracea the ASPCA cites cycasin and BMAA, a neurotoxic amino acid, with vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and liver damage in dogs, cats and horses; the seeds are the most dangerous part. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, treat the plant 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 traditional use specific to the species has been documented.

Frequently asked questions

How can Zamia amplifolia be recognised?

By its leaflets: 6 to 10 pairs per leaf, 12 to 15 cm wide, with an entire margin and deep grooves between the veins. According to the Flora de Colombia, no other Zamia combines these two features.

How does it differ from Zamia skinneri?

Mainly by origin and by the leaflet margin, which the Flora de Colombia describes as entire in Zamia amplifolia. Zamia skinneri grows in Panama, Zamia amplifolia in Colombia (Valle del Cauca); the two have been confused (Whitelock, 2002, cited by Taylor and colleagues, 2008).

Where does it grow?

Only in Colombia, in the department of Valle del Cauca, on the Pacific side, where it is known from a handful of collections.

Is it endangered?

Yes. The IUCN rates it Endangered (2022): a tiny range, very few collections and a declining habitat.

Can it be grown in the UK?

Only under glass, as far as can be judged. No growing report exists, but it comes from frost-free tropical rainforest; a heated glasshouse with high humidity is the only reasonable option.

Why is the author “W.Bull ex Mast.”?

Because the name was first used by the nurseryman William Bull and validly published by Maxwell Masters in The Gardeners’ Chronicle in 1878, from Bull’s plants.

Is it poisonous?

It should be assumed so. No analysis has been made of this species, but the cycads studied contain serious toxins, especially in the seeds.

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Masters, M.T. (1878). Zamia amplifolia. The Gardeners’ Chronicle, new series, 10: 810. [Protologue; not consulted (Biodiversity Heritage Library inaccessible).]
  • Stevenson, D.W. (2001). Orden Cycadales. Flora de Colombia 21: 1–91. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. [Treatment of the species; online version read.]
  • Stevenson, D.W. & Sabato, S. (1986). Typification of names in Zamia L. and Aulacophyllum Regel (Zamiaceae). Taxon 35(1): 134–144. https://doi.org/10.2307/1221051 [Neotype; cited by the Flora de Colombia, not consulted.]
  • Lindström, A.J. (2009). Typification of some species names in Zamia L. (Zamiaceae), with an assessment of the status of Chigua D.Stev. Taxon 58(1): 265–270. [Lectotype; cited by The World List of Cycads, not consulted directly.]
  • Taylor B., A.S., Haynes, J.L. & Holzman, G. (2008). Taxonomical, nomenclatural and biogeographical revelations in the Zamia skinneri complex of Central America (Cycadales: Zamiaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 158(3): 399–429. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2008.00886.x [Confusion with Zamia skinneri, after Whitelock (2002); full text read.]
  • Lindstrom, A., Habib, S., Dong, S., Gong, Y., Liu, J., Calonje, M., Stevenson, D. & Zhang, S. (2024). Transcriptome sequencing data provide a solid base to understand the phylogenetic relationships, biogeography and reticulated evolution of the genus Zamia L. (Cycadales: Zamiaceae). Annals of Botany 134(5): 747–768. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcae065 [Sample from Valle del Cauca listed in Table 1; full text consulted.]
  • López-Gallego, C. (2022). Zamia amplifolia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T42108A69832426. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T42108A69832426.en [Current assessment (EN); reference taken from The World List of Cycads and Crossref, Red List page not consulted.]
  • 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; 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. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21958524 [Reference checklist; consulted directly.]