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Long Island Coontie

Scientific Name
Zamia lucayana
Family 
Zamiaceae
Status
Native/(Endemic-Long Island)
Protected; Critically Endangered species that is endemic to the Lucayan Archipelago

Botanical Description

Zamia lucayana is a slow-growing, perennial cycad, an ancient lineage of seed plants that existed long before flowering plants evolved. It grows as a low, shrub-like plant, typically reaching 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall, though older specimens may spread wider. 

Stem 
  • Short, often partially underground (subterranean caudex) 
  • Thick and woody 
  • Stores nutrients and water 
Leaves 
  • Arranged in a crown from the center 
  • Pinnate (feather-like) 
  • 1-3 feet long Leaflets are stiff, narrow to lance-shaped 
  • Deep glossy green 
  • Margins smooth to slightly toothed in young plants 
  • The leaves are tough and leathery, adapted to dry limestone soils. 
Reproductive Structures 
  • (Cones) Unlike flowering plants, cycads produce cones, not flowers. 
  • Male cones: Slender, cylindrical, pollen-producing 
  • Female cones: Shorter, thicker, and seed-bearing 
  • Plants are dioecious (male and female cones occur on separate plants) 
  • Seeds are large with a fleshy outer covering when mature.

Habitat

Limestone coppice; dry rocky soils, Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Forest (Coppice); Shrubland; Dwarf Shrubland, Rocky, well-drained soils.

Distribution 

Bahamian Archipelago only, Endemic to Long Island, with occurrences on Eleuthera through the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve.

Ecological Importance

  • Ancient gymnosperm lineage; slow growth and limited range make it highly vulnerable; important flagship for Long Island conservation. 

  • Part of ancient plant lineages dating back over 200 million years 

  • Provides structure in coppice understory 

  • Contributes to biodiversity of limestone ecosystems 

  • Supports specialized insect pollinators

Cultural Notes

  • Powerful teaching plant for endemic vs native and Bahamian biodiversity; should never be collected from the wild.

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