Early explorers and botanists in South Africa discovered that local tribes used the starchy pith surrounding the seed of this plant to make bread.  The cycad thus became known as the bread tree (or broodboom) and its scientific name, Encephalartos, echoes this, being derived from three Greek words: ‘en’ meaning within, ‘cephali’ meaning head, and ‘artos’ meaning bread.

While the pith of cycad seeds is not poisonous (as is the case with its leaves and stems) the actual seed kernels are very toxic.  Children, especially, should be warned not to eat them – particularly since they can look rather like dates and are, in fact, called wild dates in some parts of the country.