Sago palm

Cycas is a very ancient genus of trees. The group achieved its maximum diversity in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, when it was distributed almost worldwide. At the end of the Cretaceous, when the non-avian dinosaurs became extinct, so did most of the Cycas species in the Northern Hemisphere.

Native to Japan. Widespread as an ornamental plant. The genus Cycas is native to the Old World, with the species concentrated around the equatorial regions.

The juice of tender leaves is useful in the treatment of flatulence and vomiting.

It is one of several species used for the production of sago (starch extracted from the spongy center of various tropical stems, mostly of palms, especially those of Metroxylon sagu – “true sago palm”).