What are Cycads and Relatives?
Cycads are an ancient group of seed plants with a crown of large compound leaves and a stout trunk covered with scale-like leaves. They often resemble palms or tree ferns. Relatives of cycads, called cycadeoids or Bennettitales, look very similar to cycads, but share some reproductive characters with angiosperms. Although cycads once grew all over the world, today they are restricted to tropical and subtropical regions, such as South America, Southeast Asia, Australia, Central America, and Mexico. First known fossil occurrence: Carboniferous.Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has living relatives.
