Coontie

Zamia integrifolia

Coontie is a special plant that looks like a small palm tree. It has shiny green leaves and grows in warm places. This plant is very important for some animals and helps keep nature healthy.

Lebensraum: Coastal areas

Aussehen

The Coontie has stiff, dark green, fern-like leaves that grow in a circular crown from a short, often underground stem. It produces distinct cone-like structures, with the female cones having bright orange-red seeds when mature.

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Coontie

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

2/5 · Gering

Snaps

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Interessante Fakten

Coontie is Florida's only native cycad, a group of plants older than dinosaurs!

Female Coontie cones produce bright orange-red seeds that look like berries, but are poisonous!

Its name comes from a Native American word for 'flour' or 'bread' because of how it was prepared.

Some tiny beetles are the only insects that can pollinate the Coontie plant!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Coontie is a living fossil, a plant from an ancient group that has changed little over millions of years, helping scientists learn about prehistoric Earth.

Coontie has toxic compounds in its leaves and roots that protect it from most hungry animals, making it a well-defended plant.

Coontie can store water in its thick, often underground stem, which helps it survive long dry periods in sandy, sun-baked environments.

Coontie has tiny bacteria living in its roots that can pull nitrogen from the air, acting like natural fertilizer for the plant.

Maße und Details

Höhe: 50-100 cm
Ausbreitung: 50-100 cm
Blütezeit: Spring to summer
Essbar: Nein
Giftigkeit: Hoch
Lebenszyklus: Mehrjährig
Bestäubungsmethode: Insekten

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eats

Atala butterfly

Eumaeus atala

Its caterpillars feed exclusively on Coontie leaves.

pollinates

Coontie cycad weevil

Rhopalotria slossoni

This small beetle is a primary pollinator of Coontie cones.

eaten by

Human

Homo sapiens

Historically, Indigenous peoples processed its root for flour.

symbiotic with

Nitrogen-fixing bacterium

Azotobacter chroococcum

It helps Coontie get nutrients from the soil through its roots.

Merkmale

Immergrün

Immergrüne Pflanzen behalten ihr Laub das ganze Jahr über und werfen nie alle Blätter auf einmal ab.

Laubbaum

Laubbäume sind Bedecktsamer, die sich durch flache, breite Blätter auszeichnen, welche in gemäßigten Klimazonen typischerweise jährlich abgeworfen werden.