Cycas A Living Fossil
Cycas are often called as living fossils because they have remained
relatively unchanged for millions of years and have existed for 200
million years since the time of dinosaurs. “Cycas A Living Fossil” refers
to the phylogeny of the genus i.e the relationship to other gymnosperm
groups.
The living Cycas retain the following features which presented it as
living fossil:
[Link] belongs to the Cycadophyta ,a group of comparatively small
plants with unbranched stem and pinnate leaves.
2. Their stems contain a large pith, scanty wood and thick cortex.
[Link] Cycas like extinct plants retain fern- like leaves that bore seeds on
the leaves.
[Link] wood consists of tracheids and xylem parenchyma cells only. The
phloem lacks companion cells and comprises of sieve tubes and
parenchyma cells.
[Link] megasporophylls are in both Cycas and seed ferns are leaf-like.
[Link] sporangia group to form sori.
[Link] ovule are large in size and naked.
[Link] sperms are multiflagellatean motile both in Cycas and primitive
plants.
[Link] stem of Cycas and seed ferns is covered with armour of persistent
leaf bases. The foliage is fern-like and exhibit circinateptyxis.
[Link] large output of microscope from microsporangia as retain by
Cycas is also a primitive character.
All these above mentioned common features qualify the Cycas to be
referred as a living fossil.
Economic Importance of Cycas
Cycas is economically important as followings:
Leaf artistry:
The leaves of Cycas circinalis are used for making hats, buckets,
brooms,mats and other eco-friendly products.
Floral decoration:
The leaves of Cycas are extensively used in floral decorations.
Medical uses:
● The bark and seed of Cycas circinalis are ground to paste with
coconut oil and used for sores and swellings.
● The juice of tender leaves of Cycas circinalis is useful to treat blood
vomiting.
● The gum extracted from the Cycas trees is used as an antidote for
snake bites.
Source of food starch:
The pith and cortical cells of Cycas revoluta stem are rich in starch or
sago grains.
Alcoholic drinks:
Some parts of Cycas species are used to prepare alcoholic drinks.
Paper production:
The wood of Cycas trees is used in production of papers.
Cycas have many other uses as well a few are discussed above.
