This cycas was a gift from a friend, it was too top heavy for him to pick up after it kept on falling over. Planted about 2 years ago and it has had a good flush of leaves, which leaves me wondering what is this cycas varietie!

I'd say...not a Cycas but an Encephalartos. The cupped boat-shaped leaves with few (or no) thorns and the forward-swept tip is distinctive. I'm thinking maybe Sclavoi?

https://www.junglemusic.net/Encephalartos_Species/Encephalartos_sclavoi.html

The 6th photo down in the Agaveville page shows nearly identical leaves, a portion of the photo is below:

https://www.agaveville.org/viewtopic.php?t=2799

Lepidozamia, maybe.

I agree with Merlyn 😁 It looks like Encephalartos sclavoi to me as well

13 hours ago, Merlyn said:

I'd say...not a Cycas but an Encephalartos. The cupped boat-shaped leaves with few (or no) thorns and the forward-swept tip is distinctive. I'm thinking maybe Sclavoi?

https://www.junglemusic.net/Encephalartos_Species/Encephalartos_sclavoi.html

The 6th photo down in the Agaveville page shows nearly identical leaves, a portion of the photo is below:

https://www.agaveville.org/viewtopic.php?t=2799

Thanks for the id, and horticultural lesson. We still learn every day.

11 hours ago, GeneAZ said:

Lepidozamia, maybe.

I have lepidozamia peroffskyana native to my area and hopei growing in my garden and it’s definitely not a peroffskyana.

8 hours ago, Dan64 said:

I agree with Merlyn 😁 It looks like Encephalartos sclavoi to me as well

Thanks Dan!

8 hours ago, Dan64 said:

I agree with Merlyn 😁 It looks like Encephalartos sclavoi to me as well

Thanks Dan!

On 6/2/2026 at 2:09 AM, happypalms said:

I have lepidozamia peroffskyana native to my area and hopei growing in my garden and it’s definitely not a peroffskyana.

These central African giant ones are so hard to pin. Does your plant have prickles on the petiole? Otherwise, it has a lot in common with gratus.

7 hours ago, GeneAZ said:

These central African giant ones are so hard to pin. Does your plant have prickles on the petiole? Otherwise, it has a lot in common with gratus.

I was thinking something from Mozambique or at least nearby. I didn't think of Gratus because the leaves are missing the 3 big spikes on the upper edge, near the attachmet point. But that might be a requirement of Kisambo...and maybe optional on Gratus? Now I'm not so sure...

Munchii is generally a lot spikier, as is Pterogonus. Turneri is also a possibility?

I also couldn't tell if the leaves reduce to spikes or just vanish, or if the petiole bases are smooth or furry.

34 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I was thinking something from Mozambique or at least nearby. I didn't think of Gratus because the leaves are missing the 3 big spikes on the upper edge, near the attachmet point. But that might be a requirement of Kisambo...and maybe optional on Gratus? Now I'm not so sure...

Munchii is generally a lot spikier, as is Pterogonus. Turneri is also a possibility?

I also couldn't tell if the leaves reduce to spikes or just vanish, or if the petiole bases are smooth or furry.

When it was purchased some 40 years ago the seller quoted you know your getting a rare cycad there!

Just now, happypalms said:

When it was purchased some 40 years ago the seller quoted you know your getting a rare cycad there!

8 hours ago, GeneAZ said:

These central African giant ones are so hard to pin. Does your plant have prickles on the petiole? Otherwise, it has a lot in common with gratus.

No prickles on the petiole. If it gratus a lot nice rare plant that’s quite common now. Iam quite sure it was a Rolf kyburz imported seed.

On 6/1/2026 at 9:07 PM, Merlyn said:

I'd say...not a Cycas but an Encephalartos. The cupped boat-shaped leaves with few (or no) thorns and the forward-swept tip is distinctive. I'm thinking maybe Sclavoi?

https://www.junglemusic.net/Encephalartos_Species/Encephalartos_sclavoi.html

The 6th photo down in the Agaveville page shows nearly identical leaves, a portion of the photo is below:

https://www.agaveville.org/viewtopic.php?t=2799

I agree with Merlyn!

Looks like a sclavoi to me too. Here's mine to compare.

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

30 minutes ago, aztropic said:

Looks like a sclavoi to me too. Here's mine to compare.

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

Possible but I found a couple of pics from euydolcycadgardens and my one doesn’t have the toothed leaf tips? Iam looking in your direction and what others have said.

@happypalms there are apparently two main types of Sclavoi. Someone told me there was a "Hawaii" form that is red/pink/bronze emergent and more pokey. From Jungle Music's page here: https://www.junglemusic.net/Encephalartos_Species/Encephalartos_sclavoi.html

"There seems to be two distinctive cultivars of this plant.  The first type is green emergent, has fewer spines and is less cupped.  The leaves and leaflets on this species tend to be more robust and longer.  The second type is reddish brown emergent, has leaflets which are more cupped and angled (away from the caudex), is more heavily armed and is slower growing and less robust. "

Mine are both the "spineless" or at least mostly spineless cupped leaf type. One of them just flushed, I'll try and remember to take a picture of that and the Turneri tomorrow. I also have a big Gratus for a photo reference.