Crossword clues for zamia
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Zamia \Za"mi*a\, n. [L. zamia a kind of fir cone, from Gr. ?, ?, hurt, damage. See Plin. xvi. 44.] (Bot.) A genus of cycadaceous plants, having the appearance of low palms, but with exogenous wood. See Coontie, and Illust. of Strobile.
Wiktionary
n. Any of various cycads of the genus ''Zamia''
WordNet
n. any of various cycads of the genus Zamia; among the smallest and most verdant cycads
Wikipedia
Zamia is a genus of cycad of the family Zamiaceae, native to Mexico, the West Indies,and Central and South America as far south as Bolivia. The range of one species ( Z. integrifolia, extends into the contiguous United States, i.e. Georgia and Florida. The genus comprises deciduous shrubs with aerial or subterranean circular stems, often superficially resembling palms. They produce spirally arranged, pinnate leaves which are pubescent, at least when young, having branched and simple, transparent and coloured hairs. The articulated leaflets lack a midrib, and are broad with subparallel dichotomous venation. Lower leaflets are not reduced to spines, though the petioles often have prickles. The emerging leaves of many Zamia species are striking, some emerging with a reddish or bronze cast (Z. roesli is an example). Zamia picta is even more distinctive, being the only truly variegated cycad (having whitish/yellow speckles on the leaves).
Zamia sporophylls are born in vertical rows in cones, and the megasporophyll apices are faceted or flattened, not spinose. The fleshy seeds are subglobular to oblong or ellipsoidal, and are red, orange, yellow or rarely white. The endosperm is haploid, derived from the female gametophyte. The embryo is straight, with two cotyledons that are usually united at the tips and a very long, spirally twisted suspensor.
The sperm of the genus are large, as is typical of cycads, and Zamia roezlii is an example; its sperm are approximately 0.4 mm long and can be seen by the unaided eye.
All the species of Zamia produce leafy crowns of foliage that make them choice garden specimens and most varieties branch heavily in age to produce handsome clumps. With a few exceptions, most Zamia species are found in warm, humid, tropical rainforest habitats, growing in the forest understory. However, many species are still fairly adaptable, performing quite well in cultivation, especially in subtropical areas. All species need good drainage and protection from the cold.
At least one species, Z. pseudoparasitica, grows as an epiphyte in the branches of trees.
The name Zamia comes from the Greek azaniae, meaning "a pine cone".
Usage examples of "zamia".
Interspersed amongst them were zamia palms and scattered here and there were a few marri, wandoo and mallee gums.
The following list of articles, forming the food of the West Australian, is from the Journal of the last-named explorer:--Six sorts of kangaroo, twenty-nine sorts of fish, one kind of whale, two species of seal, wild dogs, three kinds of turtle, emus, wild turkeys, two species of opossum, eleven kinds of frogs, four kinds of fresh water shell fish, every sort of sea shell fish, except oysters, four kinds of edible grubs, eggs of birds awl lizards, five animals of the rabbit class, eight sorts of snakes, seven sorts of iguanas, nine species of mice and rats, twenty-nine sorts of roots, seven kinds of fungis, four sorts of gum, two sorts of manna, two species of by-yu, or the nut of the zamia palm, two species of mesembry and themum, two kinds of small nuts, four sorts of wild fruit, besides the seeds of several plants.