Zamia paucifoliolata

Zamia paucifoliolata is a cycad of the Pacific coast of Colombia, known only from two sites in the municipality of Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca), in some of the wettest forests on Earth. Described in 2018, this species of the genus Zamia has an underground stem that usually carries a single large leaf with very few leaflets, hence its name. The IUCN has not yet assessed it; its authors propose listing it as Endangered.

Key facts about Zamia paucifoliolata

  • Accepted name: Zamia paucifoliolata Calonje (2018), accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15), by GBIF and by the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, on which POWO is based; POWO could not be consulted directly
  • Former names and synonyms: none
  • Family: Zamiaceae, order Cycadales
  • Common names: none attested, in English or in any other language
  • Natural range: Colombia, Valle del Cauca (municipality of Buenaventura), coastal lowlands; the type was collected between 15 and 50 m
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE); Endangered (EN) proposed by its authors in 2018
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix II (whole genus; seeds exempt under annotation #4); Annex B in the European Union
  • Documented hardiness: no data (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: rainforest understorey, on slopes and beside streams; poor, acidic clays
  • Habit and adult size: underground stem 8 to 21 cm long; one leaf, rarely two, 20 to 285 cm long, with 2 to 18 leaflets
  • In the UK, US and Australia: no garden record
  • Toxicity: no data specific to the species; treat it as poisonous, like all cycads (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Zamia paucifoliolata

Zamia paucifoliolata is recognised by its leaf, often the only one on the plant, which can exceed 2.8 m yet carries only 10 to 18 very broad leaflets in adult plants. The original description by Michael Calonje, Cristina López-Gallego and Jonatan Castro (2018) gives:

  • Stem: underground, unbranched, globose to cylindrical, 8 to 21 cm long.
  • Leaves: usually solitary, rarely two, erect, 20 to 285 cm long; petiole up to 176 cm, moderately to densely armed with stout prickles up to 5 mm long, sometimes branched.
  • Leaflets: 2 to 18 (10 to 18 in adults; 11.6 on average over 135 leaves measured), papery to leathery, opposite, up to 17 cm apart, lanceolate in young plants, then obovate with an abruptly acuminate tip; margin entire; the median leaflets measure 28 to 61 cm by 6 to 11.5 cm.
  • New leaves: plain light green, turning dark green.
  • Male cones: 4 to 6, conical-cylindrical, 6.5 to 6.8 cm by 1.8 to 2 cm, on a long peduncle of 17.5 to 20 cm; axis covered in white hairs; scales cream with a reddish-brown speckled tip, bearing pollen sacs on both faces.
  • Female cones: solitary, cylindrical, 10 to 13 cm by 5 to 6 cm, reddish brown turning black when ripe, on a peduncle of 20 to 29 cm; only 6 rows of 3 to 5 strongly projecting scales.
  • Seeds: ovoid, with a red fleshy coat, 20 to 24 mm long; the hard shell measures 18 to 22 mm, the largest in its group.

The same article gives 2 to 20 leaflets in its comparative table; the description, followed here, gives 2 to 18.

Hybrids

No hybrid is known. Isolated plants of Zamia chigua and Zamia roezlii grow among Zamia paucifoliolata with no sign of hybridisation, according to the original description.

Possible confusion

Zamia paucifoliolata belongs to a small group of species with an unbranched underground stem, an often solitary leaf, hairy cone axes and pollen sacs on both faces of the male cone scales. The authors’ 2018 key separates it from its neighbours:

  • Zamia pyrophylla, of the Chocó: new leaves mixing orange, yellow and red; 4 to 32 narrower leaflets (4 to 7.1 cm wide); male cone scales with a plain brown tip; smaller seeds (shell 10 to 15.6 mm in the authors’ table, “less than 12 mm” in their key);
  • Zamia ipetiensis and Zamia cunaria, of eastern Panama: leaflets finely toothed at the tip, and female cone scales flat or barely projecting.
  • Among the Zamia with large, ribbed leaflets, only Zamia wallisii (11 leaflets at most), Zamia dressleri (14 at most) and Zamia imperialis (18 at most) carry so few; they do not belong to the same group.

In practice, a plant from the Buenaventura area with plain green new leaves, very broad obovate leaflets with entire margins and a female cone on a very long stalk points to Zamia paucifoliolata.

Taxonomy

Zamia paucifoliolata is an accepted name according to The World List of Cycads, GBIF and the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, on which POWO is based (read on GBIF, version of 4 June 2026, which cites “Phytotaxa 385: 88 (2018)”); POWO itself could not be consulted. It was published on 27 December 2018 in Phytotaxa (volume 385, pages 85 to 93). The World List of Cycads and the World Checklist attribute the name to Michael Calonje alone, whereas the article is signed with Cristina López-Gallego and Jonatan Castro, of the University of Antioquia.

The story began in 2009, when Michael Calonje noticed, in the herbarium of the University of Valle (CUVC, Cali), a female cone collected in 2002 near Buenaventura, without a leaf, with an extremely long peduncle and much larger seeds than those of Zamia pyrophylla, its closest relative. Later expeditions found the plants and allowed the species to be described. In the same article the authors treat Zamia cunaria and Zamia ipetiensis as a single entity, for lack of characters to separate them; The World List of Cycads nevertheless keeps both names.

The transcriptome phylogeny of Lindstrom and colleagues (2024), which included a sample from Valle del Cauca, places the species in the West Andes clade (clade VI), within a small subgroup of four species already recognised by Calonje and colleagues (2019) as the “Cunaria clade” for their shared morphological characters: Zamia cunaria and Zamia ipetiensis, of the Isthmus of Panama, and Zamia pyrophylla and Zamia paucifoliolata, west of the Andes.

Etymology and history

The epithet paucifoliolata comes from the Latin pauci-, “few”, and foliolata, “with leaflets”: it refers to the small number of leaflets, one of the lowest in the genus (original description; Haynes, 2022, as quoted by The World List of Cycads).

The type was collected on 25 June 2018 in the municipality of Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca), between 15 and 50 m, by Jonatan Castro and colleagues (no. 1289). The holotype is kept in the herbarium of the University of Antioquia (HUA), with isotypes in five other Colombian herbaria. The largest leaf observed measured 285 cm and carried 18 leaflets. No account of its introduction into cultivation has been published.

Common names

No common name is attested for this species, in English, Spanish or any other language.

In the wild

Zamia paucifoliolata is known only from two localities about 5 km apart in the municipality of Buenaventura, on the Pacific coast of Colombia. It grows in coastal forests transitional between tropical moist forest and rainforest, with trees of small diameter, on grey and yellow clays and coarse alluvium that are acidic, very rich in aluminium and very poor in nutrients. The plants form dense patches in the understorey, on fairly steep slopes and near small streams.

The climate is one of the wettest on the planet: 7,000 to 7,700 mm of rain a year, with October and November the wettest months and February and March the driest; temperatures range from 24 to 28 °C (75.2 to 82.4 °F), with a mean of 25.8 to 26 °C (78.4 to 78.8 °F). The peninsula between the bays of Buenaventura and Málaga, about 400 km² in area, holds five species of Zamia (Zamia amplifolia, Zamia chigua, Zamia obliqua, Zamia paucifoliolata and Zamia roezlii), perhaps the highest concentration of the genus anywhere.

The populations appear viable, with more juveniles than adults. Female cones with ripe seeds have been seen in February and May, male cones only at the end of August. No pollinator or seed disperser is known; caterpillars of the cycad butterflies (Eumaeus) were not seen, but leaf mines made by larvae were observed. A permanent plot has been set up to monitor one population.

Conservation status and regulation

Zamia paucifoliolata has not yet been assessed by the IUCN (Not Evaluated in The World List of Cycads and on GBIF). Its authors recommend listing it as Endangered (EN) under criteria B1ab(i–v)+2ab(i–v): a total known range of 3 km², an area of occupancy of 0.5 km² and about 300 adults. One locality lies in a private nature reserve; the other borders a fast-growing beach resort, where building and selective logging threaten the habitat. The authors call for the species to be included in Colombia’s national action plan for the conservation of zamias.

Like all Zamia except Zamia restrepoi, which is in Appendix I, Zamia paucifoliolata is covered by the listing of the genus in CITES Appendix II, in force since 4 February 1977. Annotation #4 (the version adopted at CoP20, in force on 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. 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+ does not yet name the species, but the listing covers the whole genus (“Zamia spp.”) and therefore includes it (checked on 3 October 2026).

This general information does not replace the official texts: check the regulations in force before buying or exchanging plants or seeds, ask the seller for proof of origin and prefer plants raised from cultivated seed.

Growing Zamia paucifoliolata

No growing guidelines specific to Zamia paucifoliolata have been published, and no cultivated plant is on record. Its habitat points to a plant of constantly hot, waterlogged tropical understorey on acidic, nutrient-poor soil.

Simon Lavaud, of the French specialist nursery Cycadales.eu, places it in his group of Zamia from the lowland forests of Central and South America, which he considers difficult outside the tropics. For this group he recommends nights of about 22 °C (71.6 °F), with brief drops to about 15 °C (59 °F) tolerated; days of 28 to 30 °C (82.4 to 86 °F); air humidity of 70 to 90%; and a free-draining, neutral to acidic compost watered with neutral or acidic water. In a European climate, he notes, these plants lack warmth even in summer in the northern half of the continent, hence his advice to grow them in a glasshouse, a conservatory or a bright, heated room (Lavaud, 2023). These are general recommendations for a group, not trials on the species.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

Outdoors it is only conceivable in a constantly hot and very humid tropical climate, in shade and in acidic, free-draining soil that never dries out. No outdoor planting has been reported anywhere.

Container cultivation

In temperate climates it would be a plant for a warm, humid glasshouse. Its single, very long leaf needs headroom, and its acidic, poor native soils suggest a free-draining, lime-free compost.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

In short: no garden record in any of the three countries.

  • United Kingdom: no record in BGCI.
  • United States: no accession in the online catalogue of Montgomery Botanical Center (Coral Gables, Florida) and no record in BGCI (both queried on 25 October 2026); Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden does not list it in its online catalogue.
  • Australia: no record in BGCI or in the online catalogue of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

No botanic garden anywhere declares the species to BGCI. The photographs held by The World List of Cycads were taken in the wild, on the type collection.

Propagation

The plant is dioecious: a male and a female plant are needed to obtain seed. Seedlings produce a first leaf with two to four leaflets, but no germination data have been published. Seeds are exempt from CITES under annotation #4; make sure they come from cultivated plants.

Pests and diseases

Leaf mines made by larvae have been observed in the wild. No disease has been documented.

Cold hardiness

No cold tolerance data exist for Zamia paucifoliolata. Temperatures in its range do not fall below about 24 °C (75.2 °F): nothing suggests that it tolerates frost, or even prolonged cool conditions.

Mediterranean and European experience

No growing result has been published in France, either in the ground or in a pot, and no dated frost episode concerns the species. For readers in Mediterranean-type climates such as coastal California or southern Australia, as in Europe, it remains a plant for a heated, humid glasshouse.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

No cold record or growing report has been published in these countries, and no garden there declares the plant. In the UK it would need a heated glasshouse all year.

Toxicity and precautions

No toxicity study specific to Zamia paucifoliolata has been published. The risk is, however, well documented in cycads: Zamia contain toxic glycosides (cycasin, macrozamin), from which methylazoxymethanol is derived, a compound toxic to the liver and nervous system, and the ASPCA cites cycasin and BMAA, a neurotoxic amino acid, for Zamia furfuracea, which it lists as toxic to 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 use is documented for this species.

Frequently asked questions

Where does Zamia paucifoliolata grow?

Only in the municipality of Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca, Colombia), at two coastal rainforest sites about 5 km apart.

Why is it called paucifoliolata?

Because its leaves carry very few leaflets: 10 to 18 in adult plants, among the lowest numbers in the genus.

How can it be told from Zamia pyrophylla?

By its plain light green new leaves (orange, yellow and red in Zamia pyrophylla), its fewer and broader leaflets (6 to 11.5 cm wide) and its larger seeds, with a shell of more than 18 mm.

Is it endangered?

Probably. The IUCN has not assessed it, but its authors consider it Endangered: about 300 adults over 0.5 km², with one site next to an expanding beach resort.

Is it grown in collections?

Not as far as published records show: no botanic garden declares it, and Montgomery Botanical Center lists no accession.

Is it hardy?

Almost certainly not. No cold data exist; it lives at 24 to 28 °C (75.2 to 82.4 °F) with more than 7,000 mm of rain a year.

Is it poisonous?

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

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Calonje, M., López-Gallego, C. & Castro, J. (2018). Zamia paucifoliolata, a new species of Zamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales) from Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Phytotaxa 385(2): 85–93. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.385.2.4 [Original description; 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 [Full text read on PubMed Central.]
  • Lavaud, S. (2023). Comment cultiver les Zamia en climat tempéré. Cycadales.eu. [Growing advice for groups of species; read directly.]
  • Haynes, J.L. (2022). Etymological compendium of cycad names. Phytotaxa 550(1): 1–31. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.550.1.1 [Compendium 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.]