OTHER CYCAD FEATURES
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By Agagaville Website
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By Wikipedia Commons
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By Andrew Cameron
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ENCEPHALARTOS
ITURIENSIS
Locality: This species is endemic
to the Ituri forest in the northern part of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. This species is
quite rare, but is relatively stable in habitat.
There are many factors that contribute to this.
One is that this plant's locality is very difficult to
access (rough terrain and few to no paved roads).
Also the Itrui Forest is known for being a hot spot for
disease, such as the Ebola Virus. It grows in
granite slopes amongst brushland and tropical forest.
The climate is hot and humid, which much of the rainfall
comes in the summer.
Plant Size:
This is a large species. Leaves can reach lengths
of about three meters, and the impressive stems can
reach over six meters. They are primarily a
solitary stemmed plant, but can on occasion produce
basal suckers.
Other Characteristics:
The name 'ituriensis' come from the habitat of
this plant, i.e. the Ituri Forest. The growth
habit of this plant is similar to some of the other
large Central African species, namely: Encephalartos
whitelockii, Encephalartos laurentianus
and Encephalartos hildebrandtii. It bears
the most resemblance to Encephalartos whitelockii
which is native to Uganda to the west. On mature
plants, E. ituriensis tends to be more upright
and solitary in nature. It is heavily armed on the
leaflets and on the petiole, which tend to be a light or
olive green (as opposed to the darker green color of
Encephalartos whitelockii). It is a fast
grower and will make a very large plant relatively
quickly. Both the male and female cones are a
green to green/yellow color.
Culture: In
coastal and inland areas, this species is tolerant of
full to partial sun. For desert areas, it prefers
filtered light to shade. It is tolerant of water
and like a loamy soil.
Landscape Usage:
This species will make a large plant. It will
need room and will make a spectacular show. I will
place it more toward the back of a planting as it does
get quite large. It does not, however, get very
wide - they are very upright in nature.
Availability: We
presently have a scattering of sizes available.
But, supply is always limited. It is rare to see a nursery offer
it and it's extremely hard to find large specimens.
We've had them from time to time. Contact us
regarding the size you seek and we'll check on our
inventory.
Pricing:
Encephalartos ituriensis is an extremely
rare species, so prices tend to be expensive.
Examples of prices are listed below.
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