Zamia what??

[Mandrew968]

These Zamia are all over the garden. They are all lovely and grow very well here, but the tag says Zamia pumilla. Coontie is Zamia integrifolia. Zamia pumilla is another species, but I don't thin these are that... Are these the regular coontie--integrifolia or are they actually the Caribbean species, pumilla? Thanks for your time and expertise, Palmtalk!

[Mandrew968]

The last one is very flat where some are keeled. Not sure if that is important...

[John Case]

What will tell the tale is a photo of the cones, if any. Otherwise, this looks like a coontie to me.

JC

[cycadjungle]

Those are coonties, whatever you want to call them. Since the integrifolia description was flawed, i still go with Z. floridana. Ekenwalder said all the Caribbean zamias are zamia pumila, so chances are that is why they have those tags. What we know now as Zamia pumila is a tall growing, upright type plant that would normally be twice that height that comes from the Dominican Republic. This too may change some day if anyone takes the time to study the material in Europe of the original pumila.  Tom

[Mandrew968]

Tom, so you would go with floridana as the species name? Like I said, I have pumila and the plant looks very different than the coontie... thanks!

[cycadjungle]

Floridana would be most correct, but what I understand, the powers that be are leaning towards ignoring the mistake in the integrifolia description that voided it's validity, just because more people tend to use that name. It isn't right, but people don't always do what is right all the time. If you read my coontie article, it explains in detail why I go with floridana.   Tom

[Mandrew968]

Just the other day, I brought in some real Zamia pumila--habitat collected. Just wanted to share... Three of the five are already planted.