Plant · GBIF taxon 2683264
Queen sago
Cycas circinalisAlso known as Queen Sago Palm, False Sago Palm, Fern Palm
Queen sago is an ancient seed plant featuring a thick trunk topped by a rosette of glossy, feather-like dark green fronds. Native to dry deciduous forests of southern India and Sri Lanka, it relies on specialized insects for pollination and produces bright orange seeds on modified leaves called megasporophylls. Severe habitat loss and wild harvesting for horticulture have pushed wild populations toward extinction.
AncientTropical
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXEndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Sunlight
- Water
- Soil nutrients
Predators
- Cycad blue butterfly larvae
- Small mammals
- Weevils
ThreatsHabitat destruction, wild harvesting, seed collection
HabitatsDry deciduous forests, rocky hillsides, open woodlands
Life span100+ years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyCycadaceae
- SpeciesCycas circinalis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Contains neurotoxins in all plant parts; do not ingest and keep away from pets. Wild seeds have toxic look-alikes.
- Why it is dangerous
- Contains potent toxins such as cycasin and BMAA, causing severe liver damage and neurological failure if consumed.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Displays a sturdy brown trunk topped by stiff pinnate leaves with bright yellowish-orange seeds in central rosettes.
- What to do
- Avoid touching raw seed pulp without gloves, and strictly keep domestic pets away from fallen foliage and seeds.
- What to notice
- Recognizable by its tall cycad trunk growing wild on rocky slopes and fragmented native forests in southern India.
- Support conservation
- Never harvest seeds or cut fronds from wild plants, and report illegal commercial harvesting to local authorities.
Responsible observation
- Photography: Frame the architectural rosette of fronds against the sky to capture its symmetrical growth pattern.
- Observation: Look closely at the central cone or megasporophylls for specialized pollinating insects during warm seasons.
- Ethical Sourcing: Verify that nursery plants come from cultivated propagation rather than wild harvesting.
Close Relative (c) Tzu-Neng Yuan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tzu-Neng Yuan · cc-by
Close Relative (c) laurent houmeau, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Distant Relative (c) tanetahi, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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