Zamia nesophila

Zamia nesophila, known by its common name "guade teet," is a species of cycad that belongs to the Zamiaceae family. This plant is endemic to several islands located in northwestern Panama, with its primary habitat being sandy beaches situated close to the sea. A portion of the population also thrives inland within tropical forests.

Botanical Description

As a shrub or small tree, Zamia nesophila can develop a stem reaching up to 2.8 meters (9 ft 2 in) in height and between 6 to 24 centimeters (2.4 to 9.4 in) in diameter. The stem is capable of branching, either at its base, top, or sometimes both. Each crown typically bears up to 20 leaves, with an average of about 11. These leaves are notably long, measuring between 116 to 239 centimeters (46 to 94 in), and are adorned with 5 to 12 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets themselves are elliptic in shape, tapering to a point (acuminate), and exhibit a pleated texture (plicate) between the veins, with edges that are serrated. When they first emerge, the leaves display a bright green color, maturing to a glossy medium green.

Reproduction and Mutualism

Zamia nesophila is dioecious, meaning that individual plants are either male or female, producing distinct male or female reproductive cones (strobili). The microstrobili, or male cones, are typically 8 to 16 centimeters (3.1 to 6.3 in) long and 2 to 2.5 centimeters (0.79 to 0.98 in) wide, varying in shape from conical-cylindrical to elongated conical-cylindrical. They can appear singly or in clusters of two to five and are characterized by a reddish-golden to brownish-yellow hue. The megastrobili, or female cones, are larger, measuring 15 to 39 centimeters (5.9 to 15.4 in) in length and 4.5 to 10.4 centimeters (1.8 to 4.1 in) in width. These are usually cylindrical-globose, with typically one megastrobolus per plant. Initially covered in yellow-brown to tan hairs, they mature to a green or grayish-green color, still bearing tan to brown hairs. Each mature cone can contain 400 or more seeds, which are 1.9 to 2.8 centimeters (0.75 to 1.10 in) long and 1.1 to 1.8 centimeters (0.43 to 0.71 in) wide, distinguished by a bright red sarcotesta (seed coat). Pollination events have been observed occurring three times annually. A significant aspect of its reproductive biology is the obligatory mutualistic relationship with the beetle Pharaxonotha clarkorum. These beetles inhabit and breed within the male cones, feeding on pollen and cone tissues, and critically, they serve as the primary pollinating vector by transferring pollen to the female cones.

Habitat and Conservation

Zamia nesophila is endemic to a small number of islands within the Bocas del Toro Archipelago. Its preferred habitat consists of sandy soil found among vegetation on beaches, with the largest populations situated just above the high tide line, enduring salt spray and occasional flooding. A secondary habitat includes acidic soil rich in humus on low hills within tropical forests on some of these islands. Unfortunately, the species faces severe threats from human activities. Significant populations, including one along a beach that once numbered around 15,000 plants, have been largely destroyed by coastal development since 2007. Another population of at least 10,000 plants was similarly decimated by the construction of a beach resort, and smaller populations have also suffered from seaside development, leading to its critically endangered conservation status.