Bread palm, any of about 65 species of Encephalartos, cycads (family Zamiaceae) native to Africa. The name is derived from a breadlike foodstuff prepared from the mealy, starchy centre of the stem and perhaps also from the seeds, which have fleshy coverings.

What is a cycad tree?

What are Cycads? Cycad plants are hardy, evergreen gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants) that grow in sand or hard rock. Cycads are dioecious plants; there are separate male and female plants. The female plant produces seeds, and the male plant produces cones filled with pollen. The most popular cycad is the sago palm.

Is a palm Tree a cycad?

People often confuse cycads as palms due to their similar overall appearance. But they are completely different, and they belong to two separate plant groups. The key difference between cycads and palms is that the cycads are nonflowering plants (gymnosperms) while the palms are flowering plants (angiosperms).