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Synonyms: Microcycadaceae Tarbaeva
Common name: Zamia Family.
Number of genera 8 (with Bowenia transferred to Stangeriaceae). Number of species 83 (with 2 species of Bowenia tranferred to Stangeriaceae).
Gymnosperm.
Disseminule a cone, or a seed.
Cones
Cone dry; when dry simple (Spjut Fig. 50A & 2 families: Ephedraceae, Zamiaceae); oblong, or ovoid; symmetrical.
Seeds
Aril absent. Seed larger than minute; 10 to less than 25 mm long to 25 to less than 50 mm long; 23–33 mm long; oblong, or obovate, or ovate; in transection compressed; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta present; fleshy. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue; with fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight; surface smooth; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; pubescent; without glandular pubescence; without wings; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; red ("brightly colored"); not becoming mucilaginous when wetted. Endosperm copious; fleshy; smooth; with starch; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor.
Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testa (with food reserve); 0.75 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; linear; straight; parallel to seed length; surrounding perisperm; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed; not divaricate; 0.9 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle; 1 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; thin; flat; smooth; with apices entire; with margins connate; basally entire; equal in size, or unequal in size; markedly unequal; not punctate dotted.
Distribution
New World, Old World. North America, Middle America, South America, Africa, Australia.
Notes
Zamiaceae description was not changed with the transfer of Bowenia to Stangeriaceae. Cones of Zamiaceae disintegrate at maturity shedding seeds attached to cone scales.
Weed information
No USA noxious weeds.
Listed seeds
No ASOA or ISTA listed seeds.
Accepted genera
Ceratozamia Brongn. -- Chigua D. W. Stev. -- Dioon Lindl., nom. cons. -- Encephalartos Lehm. -- Lepidozamia Regel -- Macrozamia Miq. -- Microcycas (Miq.) A. DC. -- Zamia L., nom. cons.
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 0 (not present). Stevenson, D.W., S. Sabato, & M.V. Torres. 1986. A new species of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) from Veracruz, Mexico with comments on species relationships, habitats, and vegetative morphology in Ceratozamia. Brittonia 38:17–26.
General references
Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, and J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 and amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, Hooker, J.D. 1873 and forward. Icones Plantarum. William & Norgate, London. (plate number cited in text within [ ]), Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Morley, B.D. and H.R. Toelken, eds. 1983. Flowering Plants in Australia, 416 pp. Rigby, Adelaide, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, Johnson, L.A.S. and K.L. Wilson. 1990. Cycadophytina/Cycadatae with the single living order Cycadales (Cycads). In: Kubitzki, K., ed., The families and genera of vascular plants, pp. 362–377. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Illustrations
Acceptable simple cone & S illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): "cone", or seed. Illustrated "cone": simple cone. "Cone" illustration(s): Morley & Toelken, Hooker [3310, 3311], Kubitzi (in Kramer & Green), Spjut, Gaertner. Seed illustration(s): Hooker [3310, 3311], Gaertner, Stevenson et al (1986). Embryo illustration(s): Martin.
• Seed. 1 of 5. Dioon edule Lindl.: seed with sarcotesta removed so that sclerotesta is visible. • Embryo. 2 of 5. Dioon edule Lindl.: Seed with sarcotesta and sclerotesta removed so that flotation layer is visible with embryo (megagametophyte) partially visible. • Seed. 3 of 5. Zamia integrifolia L. f.: seed with sarcotesta. • Embryo. 4 of 5. Zamia integrifolia L. f.: Seed with sarcotesta and sclerotesta removed so that flotation layer is visible. • Embryo. 5 of 5. Zamia integrifolia L. f.: embryo.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, and M.J. Dallwitz. 2000 onwards. Family guide for fruits and seeds: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 12th April 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
