Today I stopped at a nursery near Jaco that I have been meaning to visit for almost a year now.  I was looking for palms and as usual, this nursery had the same 12 or so palm species that all the nurseries around here have.  As I was walking out of the shadehouse, the big leaflets of this plant caught my eye.  I pointed to the plant and the man says Ahhh Zamia!  I ask how much, he says 8,000 colones (roughly $16), I said I'll take it!

I love the large leaflets on this plant, can anyone tell me what it is?  The leaflets kind of remind me of the pics of Jeff's skinneri, but I really have no idea.    

New growth, with one deformed leaflet

I feel the sickness coming on..... just like with palms..... must-get-more-Zamia's!

wow that's pretty good for $16!

Is that native to Costa Rica?

Gene, I wish I knew.  He only had two Zamias, this one and a large Z furfuracea.

I gotta tell you Jeff......she is a beauty!

Not sure of its number-plate but I must have one!

Dennis

Dear Jeff  

lovely cycas & good buy...

love,

Kris  

Zamia roezlii perhaps

and that's a steal, nice catch.

Jeff,

    A great find, but if you keep looking, you'll find more of these to buy. It's Zamia neurophyllidia or Z. skinneri. Kind of depends who you talk to, I guess. The smaller leaf variety (your plant) was always thought to be Z. neuroph. And the really big leaf boys are the true Z. skinneri's. But Jody, lately has told me that their still trying to work this out. Either way, their beautiful cycads and I love them.

Jeff

Nice!

Thanks everyone!

Jeff, Believe me, I will be on the lookout for more.  I really want to use Zamias as a feature plant here at Akira Reserve and I plan on planting them all over this property.  So far my collection is pitiful, only Z fairchildiana and now a Z neurophyllidia, but I hope to change that over the next year or so.

Wow...great find Jeff! Gorgeous leaves.

I've only grown zamia tenuifolia (fisheri), I got it from Mike E but I'm sorry to say I killed it  

Wow! What a deal.

Thanks Mike,  I thought so too although I don't know how much they cost in the states.  I expected him to say it was at least 15,000 colones ($30) and I would have paid that!

Bren, how did you kill yours?  I'm new to these plants and want to make sure I don't make the same mistake.  Was it too much sun?

A skinneri that size would go from anything between 50 and 100 here, what do you think Bruce or Clayton ?.

You lucky duck, I am so jealous as I too am just getting into cycads a wee more than previous.

Holy moley Wal, I didn't know that one could cost that much.  That seems expensive to me, but I guess I am getting used to Costa Rican plant prices.  Most palms and plants I have purchased in the last year have been under 8,000 colones ($16 US).  Anything over 10,000 colones ($20) seems expensive to me.      

I always liked Zamias, but all the great photos that have been posted lately really pushed me over the edge!

To me, this plant looks like an inland Costa Rican plicate-leaved Zamia. If this is the case, it is most likely an as yet undescribed species that somewhat resembles but differs from Z. neurphyllidia. Being a young plant, there is also a possibility that it is from a coastal population in Costa Rica, in which case it may be what we refer to as Z. skinneri , which occurs throughout coastal mainland Bocas del Toro, Panama; or it could be another as yet undescribed species. We have not yet had an opportunity to study the populations in Costa Rica, but that is in our plans for future research.

Sorry I couldn't be more definitive.

Jody

Jody, don't be sorry, I value your input!  

That would be pretty cool if I had an undescribed species.  Although now thinking back to what the guy said and looking it up on the internet, I may have more information.  He said this Zamia was from "el bosque de Saripiqui".  He said it so fast that it was two days later before I realized what he had said!  I thought he was saying it was from the forest (which I already assumed these grew in the forest) but didn't understand the last word.  My spanish is still not 100% and this guy spoke with a rapid-fire dialect and I had problems understanding everything he said but I do remember him saying Saripiqui.  I finally started looking on the internet for Saripiqui and I see that it is a region in the northern part of Costa Rica.  I have never been to this area of the country and I don't know anything about it.  Now I'm wondering if this Zamia is from the mountains and won't do well in a hot humid coastal environment?

Jeff, I don't know what I did to kill mine, it gets a bit of sun but I was under the impression that this one could take it. Maybe the 33 degrees it saw did it in? I think the cone may still be alive..I have not dug it out yet. Thank god this was a cheapie. Live and learn. I am clueless with zamias.

Jeff, there is yet a third possible new species in northern Costa Rica near the border with Nicaragua. That is also on our radar screen for upcoming research. From my experience, this type of plant is tyically pretty adaptable to different conditions. As long as you provide it with shade, good drainage, and adequate moisture, it should do fine for you.

Jody

Jody, thanks again for the info!  

It will be interesting to see what Zamias you find in Costa Rica.  Any idea when you will be here yet?

Jody's non-definitive comments point to what makes the genus fascinating--lots of geographic variation, more species than anyone had realized.  For what it's worth, academic interest in geographic variation and the origin of species is on the increase, which makes Zamia all the more intriguing.  

Jeff, congratulations on working at the local Spanish!  I need to visit your area sometime.

Thanks Dave, I'm trying!  Learning another language at my age has proven to be one of the most difficult things I have ever done.  I really thought I knew a lot of Spanish before I moved here.  Boy did I feel like an idiot when I got here and couldn't understand anyone!  Now I have developed a delayed reaction to understanding some words.  I will be thinking about something that someone said to me earlier (or the day before) and it will all of a sudden dawn on me what they were saying and it will make complete sense to me.  Of course by that time, it's much too late to respond back!

If you ever get to Manuel Antonio/Quepos, please let me know.

(Jeff in Costa Rica @ Apr. 05 2008,13:04)

QUOTE

Thanks Dave, I'm trying!  Learning another language at my age has proven to be one of the most difficult things I have ever done.  I really thought I knew a lot of Spanish before I moved here.  Boy did I feel like an idiot when I got here and couldn't understand anyone!  Now I have developed a delayed reaction to understanding some words.  I will be thinking about something that someone said to me earlier (or the day before) and it will all of a sudden dawn on me what they were saying and it will make complete sense to me.  Of course by that time, it's much too late to respond back!

If you ever get to Manuel Antonio/Quepos, please let me know.

Jeff,

Language is a constant learnng curve.  As long as you want to speak and understand a language it will come to you bit by bit.  And, all of a sudden you become fluent.  I read a lot and write a lot.  That has been a great help to me.  As to the plants that is another story.

dk

While in Panama in January, I of course found that my high school and college Spanish (mostly of the book variety) was pretty much gone, apart from being able to read the newspaper.  But even having minimal Spanish was better than none at all.  

The international sort of spoken English (the sort a Panamanian might speak in Japan) simplifies the language and avoids the assorted shortcuts and whatnot that we native speakers use.