Published September 4, 2025 | Version 2025.09.04-r1
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World List of Cycads — Accepted Taxonomy (Archival Snapshot)

Authors/Creators

  • 1. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group; Montgomery Botanical Center, 11901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA
  • 2. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group; The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458, USA
  • 3. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group

Description

This record is an archival, time-stamped snapshot of the World List of Cycads (WLoC), a curated catalogue of cycad taxonomy created under the auspices of the IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group. It summarizes the status of all known extant cycad names, including accepted species and infraspecific taxa, synonyms and other nomenclatural judgments (e.g., illegitimate/invalid names), authorship abbreviations, type indications where applicable, and country-level distributions. The list follows standard botanical abbreviations (e.g., Brummitt & Powell; IPNI) and reflects expert curation as of the version date indicated in the PDF. This deposit is intended for citation and reproducible reference to the taxonomic state of WLoC on that date; ongoing updates appear at the project website (https://www.cycadlist.org). Please cite the version DOI of this record. Development of the WLoC has been supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation Award #2140319. For questions, contact: michaelc@montgomerybotanical.org

Notes

World List of Cycads — Changelog (Post-2020)

Scope. This changelog lists taxonomic and nomenclatural updates to the World List of Cycads since the most recent printed edition (Calonje et al., 2020), published on October 12, 2020 in the Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Cycad Biology. That publication serves as the baseline for comparison.

Calonje, M., D. W. Stevenson, and R. Osborne. 2020. "The World List of Cycads." Cycads 5(1): 77–119.

Newly Added Accepted Species

  • Ceratozamia alba Pérez-Farr., Gut.Ortega & Vovides
  • Ceratozamia aurantiaca Pérez-Farr., Gut.Ortega, J.L.Haynes & Vovides
  • Ceratozamia chinantlensis Pérez-Farr., Ram.-Oviedo & Gut.-Ortega
  • Ceratozamia dominguezii Pérez-Farr. & Gut.Ortega
  • Ceratozamia gigantea Mart.-Domínguez, Nic.-Mor., D.W.Stev. & Gonz.-Aguilar
  • Ceratozamia guatemalensis Pérez-Farr., Gut.Ortega & M.L.Quezada
  • Ceratozamia oliversacksii D.W.Stev., Mart.-Domínguez & Nic.-Mor.
  • Ceratozamia osbornei D.W.Stev., Mart.-Domínguez & Nic.-Mor.
  • Ceratozamia reesii Vovides, Pérez-Farr. & Gut.Ortega
  • Ceratozamia rosea Pérez-Farr., Gut.Ortega & Vovides
  • Ceratozamia sancheziae Pérez-Farr., Gut.Ortega & Vovides
  • Ceratozamia schiblii Pérez-Farr. & Gut.Ortega
  • Cycas flabellata Agoo, Madulid & J.R.Callado
  • Cycas mindanaensis Agoo, Madulid & J.R.Callado
  • Dioon oaxacensis Gut.Ortega, Pérez-Farr. & Vovides
  • Dioon salas-moralesiae Gut.Ortega & Pérez-Farr.
  • Zamia imbricata Calonje & J.Castro
  • Zamia magnifica Pérez-Farr., Gut.Ortega & Calonje
  • Zamia multidentata Calonje, Segalla & R.S.Pimenta
  • Zamia orinoquiensis Calonje, Betancur & A.Lindstr.
  • Zamia sinuensis Calonje & J.Castro

Nomina dubia Added

  • Ceratozamia mexicana var. vulgaris J.Schust.
  • Cycas rumphii var. subinclusa J.Schust.
  • Macrozamia heteromera f. harmsii J.Schust.
  • Macrozamia heteromera var. dicranophylloides J.Schust.
  • Macrozamia tridentata f. dielsii J.Schust.
  • Macrozamia tridentata f. hillii J.Schust.
  • Macrozamia tridentata f. milkaui J.Schust.
  • Macrozamia tridentata f. vavilovii J.Schust.
  • Macrozamia tridentata f. wallsendensis J.Schust.
  • Macrozamia tridentata var. mackenzii J.Schust.
  • Zamia loddigesii var. cycadifolia J.Schust.
  • Zamia media f. brevipinnata J.Schust.
  • Zamia media f. calcicola J.Schust.
  • Zamia pseudoparasitica var. latifolia J.Schust.
  • Zamia verschaffeltii f. latifolia J.Schust.

Synonyms Added

  • Ceratozamia longifolia var. minor Miq. = Ceratozamia mexicana Brongn.
  • Ceratozamia martinezii Mart.-Domínguez, Nic.-Mor. & D.W.Stev. = Ceratozamia aurantiaca Pérez-Farr., Gut.Ortega, J.L.Haynes & Vovides
  • Ceratozamia mexicana f. fuscoviridis (Bull) J.Schust. = Ceratozamia fuscoviridis [2] W.Bull
  • Ceratozamia mexicana f. tenuis (Dyer) J.Schust. = Ceratozamia tenuis (Dyer) D.W.Stev. & Vovides
  • Ceratozamia mexicana var. latifolia (Miq.) J.Schust. = Ceratozamia latifolia Miq.
  • Ceratozamia mexicana var. miqueliana (H.Wendl.) J.Schust. = Ceratozamia miqueliana H.Wendl.
  • Cycas circinalis var. beddomei (Dyer) J.Schust. = Cycas beddomei Dyer
  • Cycas circinalis var. pectinata (Buch.-Ham.) J.Schust. = Cycas pectinata Buch.-Ham.
  • Cycas circinalis var. scratchleyana (F.Muell.) J.Schust. = Cycas scratchleyana F.Muell.
  • Cycas riedlei Fisch. ex Gaudich. = Macrozamia riedlei (Fisch. ex Gaudich.) C.A.Gardner
  • Cycas siamensis subsp. inermis (Lour.) J.Schust. = Cycas inermis Lour.
  • Dioon edule f. imbricatum (Miq.) Miq. = Dioon edule Lindl.
  • Dioon edule f. lanuginosum (Wittm.) J.Schust. = Dioon edule Lindl.
  • Dioon edule var. imbricatum (Miq.) Miq. = Dioon edule Lindl.
  • Dioon strobilaceum Lem. ex A.DC. = Dioon edule Lindl.
  • Macrozamia denisonii var. denisonii = Lepidozamia peroffskyana Regel
  • Macrozamia denisonii var. hopei (W.Hill) J.Schust. = Lepidozamia hopei Regel
  • Macrozamia heteromera f. heteromera = Macrozamia heteromera C.Moore
  • Macrozamia heteromera var. glauca C.Moore = Macrozamia glaucophylla D.L.Jones
  • Macrozamia heteromera var. tenuifolia C.Moore = Macrozamia stenomera L.A.S.Johnson
  • Macrozamia preissii subsp. dyeri (F.Muell.) J.Schust. = Macrozamia dyeri (F.Muell.) C.A.Gardner
  • Macrozamia preissii subsp. preissii = Macrozamia riedlei (Fisch. ex Gaudich.) C.A.Gardner
  • Macrozamia tridentata f. diplomera (F.Muell.) J.Schust. = Macrozamia diplomera (F.Muell.) L.A.S.Johnson
  • Macrozamia tridentata f. oblongifolia (Regel) J.Schust. = Macrozamia miquelii (F.Muell.) A.DC.
  • Macrozamia tridentata f. tridentata = Macrozamia sp.
  • Macrozamia tridentata subsp. cylindrica J.Schust. = Macrozamia macleayi Miq.
  • Macrozamia tridentata subsp. mountperriensis (F.M.Bailey) J.Schust. = Macrozamia mountperriensis F.M.Bailey
  • Macrozamia tridentata subsp. tridentata = Macrozamia sp.
  • Macrozamia tridentata var. corallipes (Hook.f.) J.Schust. = Macrozamia spiralis (Salisb.) Miq.
  • Macrozamia tridentata var. douglasii (W.Hill ex F.M.Bailey) J.Schust. = Macrozamia douglasii W.Hill ex F.M.Bailey
  • Macrozamia tridentata var. miquelii (F.Muell.) J.Schust. = Macrozamia miquelii (F.Muell.) A.DC.
  • Macrozamia tridentata var. oblongifolia Regel = Macrozamia miquelii (F.Muell.) A.DC.
  • Macrozamia tridentata var. secunda (C.Moore) J.Schust. = Macrozamia secunda C.Moore
  • Zamia floridana f. floridana = Zamia integrifolia var. integrifolia
  • Zamia floridana f. silvicola (Small) J.Schust. = Zamia integrifolia var. integrifolia
  • Zamia loddigesii var. latifolia (Lodd. ex Miq.) J.Schust. = Zamia furfuracea L.f.
  • Zamia loddigesii var. spartea (A.DC.) J.Schust. = Zamia spartea A.DC.
  • Zamia media f. silicea (Britton) J.Schust. = Zamia pygmaea Sims

Nomenclatural Changes under ICN Article 61.6 (Madrid IBC 2024)

Note. The epithets caffer and caffra are prohibited under the International Code of Nomenclature (ICN, Art. 61.6) and have been replaced by afer and afra, as adopted at the Madrid International Botanical Congress (2024).

  • Cycas afra Thunb.
  • Cycas afra Hort. ex J.Schust.
  • Encephalartos afer (Thunb.) Lehm.
  • Encephalartos afer var. afer
  • Encephalartos afer var. integrifolius Regel
  • Encephalartos afer var. unidentatus Regel
  • Encephalartos afer var. brachyphyllus (Lehm. & de Vriese) Miq.
  • Zamia afra (Thunb.) Thunb.

Changes in Synonymization

  • Cycas andamanica — Moved from synonym of C. sainathii to synonym of C. pschannae.
  • Cycas darshii — Moved from nomen dubium to synonym of C. sphaerica.
  • Cycas dharmrajii — Moved from synonym of C. sainathii to accepted species.
  • Cycas fairylakea — Placed into synonymy under C. szechuanensis; subsp. fairylakea transferred accordingly.
  • Cycas hainanensis — Placed into synonymy under C. taiwaniana; autonym C. hainanensis subsp. hainanensis also transferred.
  • Cycas pschannae — Moved from synonym of C. sainathii to accepted species.
  • Cycas sainathii — Placed into synonymy under C. zeylanica.
  • Cycas shanyaensis, Cycas lingshuiensis — Transferred from synonymy under C. hainanensis to synonymy under C. taiwaniana.
  • Macrozamia plumosa — Now considered a synonym of Macrozamia pauli-guilielmi.
  • Zamia floridana names (incl. f. floridana, f. silvicola, var. broomei, var. floridana, var. purshiana, Zamia silvicola) — All placed into synonymy under Zamia integrifolia var. integrifolia; Zamia umbrosa, and Zamia floridana var. umbrosa placed into synonymy under Zamia integrifolia var. umbrosa.
  • Zamia lawsoniana Dyer — Reestablished as an accepted species; removed from synonymy with Zamia loddigesii Miq.

Additional Distribution Updates

  • Ceratozamia matudae — Guatemala (Huehuetenango) removed; these populations subsequently considered to belong to C. vovidesii, now segregated into the new species C. guatemalensis; species now endemic to Chiapas, Mexico.
  • Ceratozamia robusta — Removed Oaxaca and Veracruz from distribution; Veracruz populations reassigned to C. subroseophylla, C. delucana, C. dominguezii, C. totonacorum; Oaxaca populations reassigned to C. whitelockiana and C. schiblii.
  • Ceratozamia vovidesii — Guatemala (Huehuetenango) removed; these populations are now segregated into C. guatemalensis; species now endemic to Chiapas, Mexico.
  • Cycas divyadarshanii — Distribution expanded to include China (Yunnan), India (Manipur), Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
  • Cycas fairylakea — Fujian added to distribution.
  • Cycas pectinata — Distribution narrowed to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India (Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya, Sikkim, West Bengal), Nepal.
  • Cycas szechuanensis — Distribution changed from China (Fujian) to China (Fujian, Guangdong).
  • Cycas thouarsii — Distribution refined to Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar & Tanzania (Zanzibar & mainland). Seychelles and Mozambique were removed as introductions.
  • Encephalartos aplanatus, E. heenanii, E. laevifolius, E. lebomboensis, E. ngoyanus, E. paucidentatus, E. umbeluziensis, E. villosus, E. relictus — Country name "Swaziland" changed to "Eswatini". Mozambique added to E. aplanatus and E. ngoyanus.
  • Encephalartos barteri — Distribution revised to Benin (Atakora, Borgou, Collines, Donga, Zou), Ghana, Nigeria (Kwara, Plateau), Togo. Subsp. barteri revised accordingly.
  • Encephalartos schaijesii — Distribution changed from Democratic Republic of Congo (Katanga) to Democratic Republic of Congo (Lualaba), Zambia (North-Western).
  • Encephalartos senticosus — Mozambique added to distribution.
  • Zamia muricata — Meta, Colombia, removed from distribution; populations reassigned to Z. orinoquiensis.
  • Zamia obliqua — Distribution updated from Panama (Panamá) to Panama (Panamá Oeste).
  • Zamia stenophyllidia — Distribution corrected from Mexico (Oaxaca) to Mexico (Michoacán).

Notes

Minor revision (v1) to correct issue where PDF was imprinting with a date from a different time zone. Corrected PDF to the correct date, based on Eastern Time Zone. 

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Funding

U.S. National Science Foundation
OPUS: A Career in Cycad Biology: An e-monograph 2140319