Cycas ophiolitica

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This australian cycad is also known as the "Marlboro Blue" Cycad.

The name Cycas ophiolitica comes from the Greek, ophios, meaning serpent, and lithos, meaning stone, because this cycad is found on soils rich in serpentinite, a grey-green igneous rock.

This plant features glaucous leaflets, grey and fuzzy leaf stalks, and bright orange cones. New growth tends to be very blue, with habitat plants becoming dark green with age. Garden specimens tend to hold their blue coloring. The trunks on these plants can grow to over 30 feet tall, and 8-12 inches in diameter. Leaves grow 3-5 feet long, with over 200 leaflets, each up to 10 inches long.