CYCADA'CEE, or a natural order of exogenous plants, consisting of small trees and shrubs, somewhat palms in their general appearance. but much more nearly allied to coltiferce (pines, firs, etc.) in their botanical C. being one of the few orders placed by Lindley along with coniferm in his class of yytnnogens• (q.v.). The stems are generally simple, and either cylindrical or short and spheroidal; sometimes they are branched by successive forkings; they are much marked with scars of leaf-stalks; they consist internally of a mass of pith traversed by woody bundles, and rings of woody matter. The leaves are large and 'Minuted, and unfold by unrolling, like the fronds of ferns. This curious and beautiful order contains about 50 known species, natives of tropical and sub-tropical countries. None are found in Europe. They all have a mucilaginous nauseous juice, but with this there is often much starch, which, being separated, forms a wholesome article of food. A kind of sago is made in
Japan from the cellular substance which occupies the interior of the stein of cycas re:ro ta4a, in the eastern peninsula from C. peetinata, and in the Moluccas from a circinalis. From these species, which are trees 30 to 40 ft. high, there exudes a transparent gum, resembling tragacanth in its properties. Their nuts are also eaten, after being fermented and roasted. The large seeds of lion edule afford a kind of arrow-root in Mexico; and a starchy substance, sometimes called arrow-root, and sometimes sago, is obtained from wink punzila and other dwarf species in the West Indies. Caffer bread (q.v.) belongs to this order.—Fossil C. are numerous, and occur in some of the oolitic and other strata iu England.