a genus of 65 species of palmlike cycads (family Zamiaceae), native to central and southern Africa and grown elsewhere as conservatory and house plants. The genus includes both tuberous and columnar varieties; they sometimes have spiny foliage. A breadlike food is prepared from the starchy centre of the stem of the bread palm (E. caffer). Most species of Encephalartos are endemic to small areas, and, because of their popularity in horticulture, many of these already uncommon species have been collected to the point of near extinction.