Kingdom Plantae Class Cycadopsida Family Cycadaceae Scientific name Cycas micronesica | Division Cycadophyta Order Cycadales Genus Cycas Rank Species | |
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Similar Aulacaspis yasumatsui, Aulacaspis, Cycas bougainvilleana, Cycas angulata, Cycas multipinnata | ||
Cycas micronesica is a type of cycad found in Micronesia, the Marianas Group and the western Caroline Islands. The species, previously lumped with Cycas rumphii or Cycas circinalis, was described in 1994 by Ken Hill. It is linked with the human degenerative disease Lytico-Bodig disease, which is similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through a neurotoxin in the seeds, which were a traditional food source on Guam until the 1960s.
Conservation
Cycas micronesica is threatened by an introduced insect pest, the diaspidid scale Aulacaspis yasumatsui, first recognised in Guam in December 2003. Because of this the species is considered to be endangered.
References
Cycas micronesica Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA