Cycas circinalis L.
| Kannada Name : | Guddeechal, Mandeechal |
| Common Name : | Queen sago |
| Family Name : | Cycadaceae |
| Scientific Name : | Cycas circinalis |
| Species Type : | Endemic |
| Phenology : | Evergreen |
| Conservation Status : | Endangered |
| Flowering Period : | December - February |
| Fruiting Period : | December - February |
| Origin : | Western Ghats |
Uses
The male cone scales are commonly sold for use as an anodyne in bazaars in India. The bark and the seeds are ground to a paste with oil and used as a poultice on sores, cuts, wounds, ulcers and swellings.
Description
A dioecious cycad, slow growing, up to 6 m tall. Leaves pinnate, alternate, in spirals, 3 m long and 2 ft wide, glossy, dark green; leaflets 0.5 inch wide; small spines line the petiole; leaf bases persistent. Male and female cones are borne on separate plants. Male cones, brown, up to 2 feet long, 5 inches thick, erect. Female cones leaflike, with each sporophyll bearing 6‐10 large ovules on the margins. Mature seeds orange, smooth, 2.5 inches in diameter.
