Encephalartos inopinus R.A.Dyer

The male cone from the wild-one of a cluster-was subcylindric, more or less elliptic-oblong in outline, whereas three cones from a single stem on a garden plant, were more oblong-lanceolate. The scales of the cone from the wild were dense and the beak slightly decurved, by comparison with the relatively open, spreading scales of the plant in cultivation. It was found also that the garden cones must have had a considerably higher moisture content judging by the shrivelling and weight for size ratio. The following details amplify the original description. Cones 1 to several in a head; the scale faces green and densely covered with small white papillae giving a general light green 'matt' appearance. Male cones subcylindric, narrowed more or less equally to both ends or sometimes more gradually tapered towards the apex, 18-25 cm long, 6.5-8 cm diam., pedunculate; peduncle 6-8 cm long, 2.5-3 cm diam. at top, not much thinner at base; median scales spreading more or less horizontally from axis with de-flexed beak, 2.5-3 cm long, 7-8 mm thick vertically, with sharp lateral angles, moderately ridged down upper surface, nearly flat on microsporangial surface, with pollen-sacs not spreading quite to margin; bulla-face minutely papillate, projected into a beak 9-10 mm long; upper facet with median receding ridge; lower facet continuous with microsporangial surface; terminal facet subquadrate 7-8 x 7-8 mm. Female cones broadly subcylindric, slightly narrowing to obtuse apex, 31 cm tall, 15 cm in greatest width near base, and with stout peduncle; peduncle obconic, 5-6 cm long, 5 cm thick at top and narrowed to base, subtended by numerous linear-filiform tornentose bracts about the same length as the peduncle; median scales about 5 cm long, 4-4.75 cm broad, 3 cm thick vertically, with lateral ridges extending into incurved lateral lobes; bulla-face about 10 mm prominent, minutely and densely whitish papillate; upper facet with a slightly undulate surface and 1 or 2 receding ridges; lower facet similar to upper but more acutely angled from the terminal facet; terminal facet slightly below centre of bulla-face, slightly concave, about 2.5 cm broad, 1.5 cm wide vertically (slight cracking of surface at time of photograph and description probably due to slight drying out after period of 4-5 weeks since removal from parent plant); scales in the upper 1/3 of the cone, broadest, up to 5 cm broad, with the terminal facet narrower vertically by comparison with those of the lower scales.