Phylum: Cycadophyta
Traits of cycads:
1. Cone-bearing plants: Cycads are seed plants that reproduce through the production of cones. They are gymnosperms, meaning their seeds are not enclosed within fruit.
2. Palm-like appearance: Cycads have a palm-like appearance with symmetrically arranged leaves in a rosette formation at the top of a stout trunk.
3. Symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria: Cycads have a unique symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria, which live within their roots and help fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, enabling the cycads to thrive in nutrient-poor soils.
4. Slow-growing: Cycads are slow-growing plants, with some species taking several years to reach maturity and produce cones.
5. Ancient lineage: Cycads are considered living fossils as they have been around for over 250 million years and have changed very little in that time.
6. Adapted to arid conditions: Cycads have adapted to survive in arid environments by developing thick, waxy leaves to reduce water loss and storing water in their trunks.
7. Dioecious reproduction: Most cycad species are dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female and produce separate cones for reproduction.
8. Toxicity: Some cycad species contain neurotoxins in their seeds and other plant parts, making them poisonous to animals if ingested.
Cycads phylum,traits
1 answer