On April 5th, 2009 a group of botany enthusiasts were out exploring in the remote Northern Rock Islands of Airai state in Palau. Led by Biologist Ron Leidich the mission of the day was to look for and photograph rare flowers. The Northern Rock Islands of Airai represent a botanical transition zone between volcanic Babeldaob and the Southern Limestone Islands. In this case, the explorers got more than they were looking for. A female cycad was in full bloom with a reproductive cone and newly developing seeds. After 15 years of exploring Palau this was the first time that Ron and the team had ever seen a new female cone.

The cycads are an ancient group of gymnosperms that were contemporaries of the dinosaurs. Despite their resemblance to palms cycads are thus actually more closely related to pine trees. The cycads were nearly wiped off the planet when the flowering plants evolved (Angiosperms) in the Cretaceous Period. The mature trees are either male or female and thus produce either a distinctive male cone or female seed pod (dioecious).

This recent set of photographs of the female cycad cone will be added to Ron’s burgeoning collection of plant pictures. Ultimately he hopes to produce a field guide to the Mangrove, Littoral Zone, Near Shore, and Inshore plants of Palau’s Rock Islands.