Cycads in Denmark

Jan Andersson, Sweden

The Botanical Garden in Copenhagen has probably the most extensive Cycad collection in Scandinavia. The Botanical Garden moved to it current place in 1874 but many of the cycads in their collection are older than that.

Some of the plants on display in Copenhagen seem to be the oldest of the species in Europe, like the Zamia lindenii (1875), and a tall plants marked Encephalartos villosus. The Cycas circinalis from 1824 is the oldest cycad in the greenhouse.

Cycad Specialists: Liebmann and Smitinand

Frederik Michael Liebmann and Tem Smitinand belong to the better known Danish explorers and botanists mentioned in this context.

Frederik Michael Liebmann was a naturalist explorer, who in 1840 collected material in Mexico which later was to be attributed to the new genera Dioon and Ceratozamia.

The late Danish botanist Tem Smitinand is the author of description of Cycas micholitzii var. simplicipinna, later raised to the rank of species as Cycas simplicipinna by Roy Osbourne.

The Danish company Tropical Zoo Plants is known as a container importer of Central American plants to European ZOOs, which made them the source of some of the biggest Zamia neurophyllidia plants in some European countries.

Copenhagen Botanical Garden 

The list of the Cycad collection in the greenhouse called large Palm House and stated which year the plants or seeds were received:

1. •Some very big Cycas circinalis from seeds probably in 1824
   

2. •5 Cycas rumphii as plants in 1970
   

3. •3 big spectacular females Dioon edule var. edule as plants in 1842
   

4. •1 big Dioon edule var imbricicatum from its mexican habitat as a plant in 1842
   

5. •1 Dioon edule from seed in 1985 from its habitat in the Mexican state of Veracruz
   

6. •1 Dioon edule as seed in 1985.
   

7. •1 big male Encephalartos villosus with a stem around half a meter in heights, the tallest we have ever seen - see photo No. 1, the plant is visible behind the double headed marked as Cycas circinalis.
   

8. •A group of 3 subterranean Encephalartos villosus planted close to each other
   

9. •1 Encephalartos gratus from seed in 1970.
   

10. •1 female Ceratozamia mexicana from seed in 1878. It is unclear if this is the type that is called mexicana today
    

11. •1 male Stangeria eriopus as a plant in 1890
    

12. •1 big spectacular female Zamia lindenii as plant in 1875
    

13. •1 Zamia furfuracea as seed in 1842.
    

14. •1 female Zamia furfuracea as a plant in 1983.
    

15. •1 Zamia furfuracea as a plant in 1986
    

16. •1 Zamia variegata as a plant in 2000
    

17. •1 female Zamia muricata as a plant in 1842 from its habitat
    

The label system of the plants that is used is very informative so that it is stated which year the plant came to their collection. It is also stated with a S if the garden received the plant from a seed and with a P if they got it as an already developed plant. A star mark means that the plant is from its habitat. 

Cycads in Europe & other countries

Read more in our articles

1. •Czech Republic (CZ) - some of the text can be also found on our English homepage - with some of the oldest Encephalartos altensteinii and the tallest Cycas circinales and Microcycas calocoma in Europe as well as a nice collection of fossil cycads
   

2. •Belgium (CZ) - This article adds some information to the text published in Whitelock on Encephalartos laurentianus, the species described from the plants from the Belgian Congo, still in collection in Meise
   

3. •Cuba (EN) and the Havana Botanical Garden - isolated country with not much information published abroad
   

4. •Denmark (EN) with the oldest Zamia lindenii in Europe
   

5. •Ireland (EN) - great old E. woodii, hildebrandtii and other cycads
   

6. •the Netherlands (EN) with a beautiful collection in Leiden
   

7. •Poland (EN) with some historical plants from the original Warszewicz garden in Krakow and a fantastic group of Stangerias and 200 yrs old plants of Ceratozamia mexicana
   

8. •Slovakia (EN) - with one of the EU well known cycad seed sellers
   

9. •Sweden (EN) with probably the largest Zamia pseudoparasitica on public display in Europe
   

Dioon in Copenhagen