ENCEPHALARTOS SENTICOSUS (ZAMIACEAE) - A NEW SPECIES FROM NORTHERN KWAZULU-NATAL AND SWAZILAND

Encephalartos senticosus is described from the Lebombo Range of northe rn KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland. Vegetatively it is similar to E. lebom boensis Verdoorn with which it was previously confused, but differs in its male cones being stalked instead of sessile with the exposed face s of the microsporophylls drawn out into drooping beaks instead of rai sed pyramidally, and the megasporophylls with exposed faces pyramidall y raised instead of more or less flat.