Araceae
Zamioculcas

Zamioculcas zamiifolia (G.Lodd.) Engl.

First published in Pflanzenr., IV, 23B: 305 (1905)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to KwaZulu-Natal. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

General Description
Tuber subcylindric, ± 3-4 cm. in diameter or more, tough, woody. LEAVES: Petiole green with darker transverse blotches, 15-35 cm. long, 1-2 cm. in diameter near base; blade 20-40 cm. long; leaflets 4-8 per side, subopposite, distant, oblong-ovate to -elliptic to -obovate, sometimes oblanceolate, fleshy, dark glossy green, 5-15 cm. long, 1.5-5 cm. broad, shortly acuminate, sessile or shortly petiolulate, articulated to rhachis, cuneate to rounded basally; rhachis terete, marked like petiole. INFLORESCENCE: Peduncle 3-20 cm. long, 0.4-1 cm. in diameter, erect at first recurving strongly in fruit, pushing infructescence into ground-litter. Spathe 5-8 cm. long, coriaceous; tube shortly cylindric to ellipsoid, 1-1.5 cm. long, 1-2 cm. in diameter, green on outer surface; limb broadly oblong-ovate, 5-6 cm. long, 3.5-5.5 cm. broad, rounded and cuspidate at tip, pale green to whitish or yellow. Spadix 5-7 cm. long; staminate part cylindric to clavate, 4-5 cm. long, 1-1.5 cm. in diameter, narrowed at base; pistillate part shortly cylindric-ellipsoid, 1-2 cm. long, 0.7-1.7 cm. in diameter. Tepals white; stigmas yellowish. INFRUCTESCENCE: Berry white, surrounded by persistent tepals, with septal suture, up to 1.2 cm. broad, 1-2-seeded. Seeds brown, ellipsoid, ± 0.8 cm. long, 0.5 cm. broad.
Habitat
Humid to dry evergreen forest, Brachystegia woodland, dry wooded grassland, bushland thicket, often on rocks, locally abundant
[CATE]

Araceae, S.J. Mayo. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Tuber subcylindric, ± 3–4 cm. in diameter or more, tough, woody.
Morphology Leaves
Petiole green with darker transverse blotches, 15–35 cm. long, 1–2 cm. in diameter near base; blade 20–40 cm. long; leaflets 4–8 per side, subopposite, distant, oblong-ovate to -elliptic to -obovate, sometimes oblanceolate, fleshy, dark glossy green, 5–15 cm. long, 1.5–5 cm. broad, shortly acuminate, sessile or shortly petiolulate, articulated to rhachis, cuneate to rounded basally; rhachis terete, marked like petiole.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncle 3–20 cm. long, 0.4–1 cm. in diameter, erect at first recurving strongly in fruit, pushing infructescence into ground-litter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Spathe
Spathe 5–8 cm. long, coriaceous; tube shortly cylindric to ellipsoid, 1–1.5 cm. long, 1–2 cm. in diameter, green on outer surface; limb broadly oblong-ovate, 5–6 cm. long, 3.5–5.5 cm. broad, rounded and cuspidate at tip, pale green to whitish or yellow.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spadix
Spadix 5–7 cm. long; staminate part cylindric to clavate, 4–5 cm. long, 1–1.5 cm. in diameter, narrowed at base; pistillate part shortly cylindric-ellipsoid, 1–2 cm. long, 0.7–1.7 cm. in diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas yellowish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berry white, surrounded by persistent tepals, with septal suture, up to 1.2 cm. broad, 1–2-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, ellipsoid, ± 0.8 cm. long, 0.5 cm. broad.
Figures
Fig. 3.
Habitat
Humid to dry evergreen forest, Brachystegia woodland, dry wooded grassland, bushland thicket, often on rocks, locally abundant; 0–610 m.
Distribution
K1 K7 P T3 T6 Z
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • CATE Araceae

    • Haigh, A., Clark, B., Reynolds, L., Mayo, S.J., Croat, T.B., Lay, L., Boyce, P.C., Mora, M., Bogner, J., Sellaro, M., Wong, S.Y., Kostelac, C., Grayum, M.H., Keating, R.C., Ruckert, G., Naylor, M.F. and Hay, A., CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images