“Coontie”

This cone is brick red but talk about texture! This is a perfect subject for B&W!

To see the color and how this cone will “open” or “separate,” http://phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Zamiaceae_Zamia_integrifolia_23936.html

A common name for “Zamia integrifolia,” it is pronounced \ˈkün-tē\ according to Merriam-Webster, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coontie » “any of several tropical American woody cycads (genus Zamia) whose roots and stems yield a starchy foodstuff — called also arrowroot.”

From Dave’s Garden, http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2422/ » “Zamia is one of the larger genera of Cycads, yet one of the least understood. This is partly due to their tropical and inaccessible origins as well as their tropical cultivational needs. But as a group this is one of the most ornamental of the cycads and certainly worthy of cultivation should one live in the right climate for them.”

From the University of California Museum of Paleontology, http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/seedplants/cycadophyta/cycads.html » “Cycads are an ancient group of seed plants with a crown of large compound leaves and a stout trunk. They are a minor component of the flora in tropical and subtropical regions today, but during the Jurassic Period, they were a common sight in many parts of the world. For this reason, the Jurassic is often referred to as the ‘Age of Cycads’.

“Today only a handful of cycads still exist, and many are facing possible extinction in the wild (such as Microcycas in western Cuba). However, because of their large attractive leaves, many cycads have found a home in public and private gardens around the world. … Though cycads are often known [as palms], they are not closely related to the palms.”

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Zamia_integrifolia&rank=binomial

Photo taken with Nikon P&S at SIUC Plant Biology Greenhouse, http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/facilities/plant-biology-facilities/greenhouse/index.php

1 year ago (“Sure, shoot us in B&W…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-02-24
2 years ago (“Low-back rocker: ‘John D. Raab Chair Co.’”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-02-24
3 years ago (“Fenton Art Glass”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-02-24

[Rick Schies]

Wow, looked to me like a small cob of corn

[Danette Thompson]

These are such interesting plants. I have planted my fair share, but they seem so particular! One will do great and the one next it not so well.

[Thom Mitchell]

@danette I was counting on a comment from you, Danette! I guess I would fall back on something from Dave's Garden [dot-com]: "one of the most ornamental of the cycads and certainly worthy of cultivation should one live in the right climate for them". Maybe Florida isn't sufficiently tropical to be reliable for every individual you might plant? To the point where side-by-side pals in the same location have very different fates. That would be my first conjecture.

[Danette Thompson]

Actually, they are Florida natives! Perhaps there is something else. For instance, with Bougainvillea, the less you care for them, the better they do. I think my landscaper doesn't have a ton of luck with them. Could be they prefer a native environment.

[MaryBeth Dailey]

Oh wow. This is a plant! It looks like a building stone or manmade something or other