My naughty plant purchases

Indigenous cycad species require a permit to possess in South Africa. This is because so many have been removed from the wild for landscaping purposes that most of the local species are in danger of going extinct in the wild because they are generally extremely slow growing and live for hundreds, if not thousands of years. When removed, they take so long to replace themselves that they are disappearing and it is illegal to collect, sell or grow them without a permit.

Some sort of Encephalaros

I bought 2 seedlings from someone at a flea market who is growing them from seed. She isn't providing permits, so I will have to apply for one. It shouldn't be a problem to get a permit because these are grown from seed and although I don't know the exact species, it isn't a critically endangered one.

Although cycads are always referred to as living fossils because cycad species were around in the time of the dinosaurs, genetic studies have shown that they aren't actually ancient survivors but modern plants that closely resemble ancient plants found in the fossil record. Sadly, cycads are once more on the verge of extinction.

These are generally very slow-growing plants and they have a caudex - a swollen stem base and root which makes them succulent plants and they are mostly grown like succulents although it will be years before my plants look like much.

Still got a long way to go before it looks like dinosaur food