Encephalartos kanga

Encephalartos kanga, also known as Mnanasi Pori is a species of cycad in the family Zamiaceae. It is native to Tanzania. The plant was formally described as a new species in 2007 by Tamás Pócs and Quentin Luke.

This species is found in Mount Kanga, a hill of the Nguru Mountains in the Mvomero district, Morogoro, Tanzania. They are situated on the southern ridge and south eastern slopes of Mt. Kanga at elevations between 1000 and 1300 m.

Etymology
The name "kanga" originates from the mountain in which the species is situated in, Mount Kanga. The word "kanga" means "jungle-fowl" in local languages.

Description
Encephalartos kanga is a dioecious cycad with a distinctive pachycaul tree form. It features a barrel-shaped trunk, reaching up to 1.5 metres in height and 50 cm in diameter, marked by rhomboidal leaf scars about 12 by 5 cm in size. The tree is covered in lanceolate cataphylls, measuring 11–15 cm long and 0.65–1.34 cm wide, with a dense brown woolly texture. Its leaves are dark green and shiny, reaching lengths of up to 400 cm and widths of 70 cm. New leaves are initially covered in light brown wool, which eventually disappears, leaving them smooth. The petiole and rachis of the leaves are round, with alternate leaflets that are slightly angled and do not overlap. These median leaflets are falcate, mostly parallel-sided, and can be up to 35.3 cm long, including an apical spine of up to 3 mm, and 3.6 cm wide. They are spaced about 3.4–3.6 cm apart on average and feature a curled margin. The first few centimetres of their distal margin have 3–7 spines, each 4–7 mm long.

The leaflets near the apex of the plant are more elliptic in shape and have more marginal spines. For instance, the 5th to 7th leaflets from the apex measure between 19.0–23.5 cm in length and 2.2–2.8 cm in width, with 2–5 spines along the first 3–8 cm of the distal margin, and 3–4 spines evenly distributed along the lower margin. Female cones of Encephalartos kanga are oblong and cylindrical, about 60–66 cm long and 17–19.5 cm in diameter, with a yellowish-orange hue. They have a smooth 12 cm-long and 8 cm-wide peduncle. The scales of these cones are rhomboidal, smooth, and glabrous, measuring 6.6–7.0 cm wide and 3.1–3.6 cm high. Male cones and microsporophylls have not been observed in this species. Its seeds are notable for their orange sarcotesta and ellipsoid, irregularly angled sclerotesta, measuring 3.8–4.3 cm by 2.1–2.5 cm by 2.4–2.7 cm.

Status
The Encephalartos kanga is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. It is a rare species with small populations scattered around Mt. Kanga. Its total area of occupation is less than 10 km2 and the total number of mature individuals is estimated to be less than 50.

Threats
The mountain, being seen as sacred by the local inhabitants, and its remoteness means that deforestation is not a current problem. The most serious threat to the species is the horticultural trade. There have been instances of foreign collectors entering the area and removing 100-200 seedlings at one time.

Conservation
They are currently under conservation in the Kanga Forest Reserve.

Uses
Like all cycads, the Encephalartos kanga is highly sought after by the horticultural trade, especially because it is a new species. However, this also poses a threat to the species.