Encephalartos septentrionalis, the Nile cycad, is a species of cycad in South Sudan, northern Uganda, northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (in the Okapi Faunal Reserve), and the interior of the Central African Republic.
This is a type of cycad characterized by a round stem, which is partially underground, reaching up to 2 meters in height and 25âÂÂ30 centimeters in diameter.
Its leaves are feather-like (pinnate), measuring 90âÂÂ150 centimeters long, and form a crown at the top of the stem. Each leaf is supported by a 2.5âÂÂ5 centimeter long petiole and contains 40âÂÂ50 pairs of lance-shaped leaflets with smooth edges. The leaves are a greyish-green color.
This species is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female specimens. Male plants produce up to 8âÂÂ10 ellipsoid cones, each 12âÂÂ20 centimeters long and 6âÂÂ8 centimeters wide, which are supported by stalks. Female plants produce solitary cylindrical cones that hang down, measuring 23âÂÂ35 centimeters long and 18âÂÂ20 centimeters in diameter when ripe, and have a yellowish-brown color.
The seeds are roughly oval-shaped and covered by a reddish sarcotesta.