Eastern Cape Giant Cycad

The Eastern Cape giant cycad, Encephalartos altensteinii, also called the breadtree, is a species of palm-like cycad in the family Zamiaceae endemic to South Africa's Eastern Cape region. Long used as a source of starch by local communities, a use reflected in its common name, it is now listed as vulnerable due to a combination of habitat loss, harvesting for traditional medicine and illegal collection by cycad enthusiasts.