Encephalartos natalensis x woodii
Natal Giant Cycad Crossed with Wood's Cycad
Seed-Grown Plants

(Please click on the picture to enlarge it for a detailed view)

This is the cross between Encephalartos woodii and Encephalartos natalensis. E. woodii is considered by some to be the world's rarest plant, with only one specimen ever having been found in the wild. E. natalensis is a plant in the same complex. By pollinating a female E. natalensis cone with pollen from E. woodii, the resulting offspring have characteristics of both plants. Once that plant matures, a female plant may be subsequently pollenated with E. woodii pollen to create a plant which is 3/4 woodii, and 1/4 natalensis.

This is truly a magnificent plant, as the specimen pictured above shows!