Editing Cycad (section)

== Confusion with palms ==
Due to superficial similarities in foliage and plant structure, cycads and [[Arecaceae|palms]] are often mistaken for each other. They also can occur in similar climates. However, they belong to different [[Phylum|phyla]] and as such are not closely related. The similar structure is the product of [[convergent evolution]].

Beyond those superficial resemblances, there are a number of differences between cycads and palms. For one, cycads are [[gymnosperm]]s and bear cones (strobili), while palms are [[angiosperm]]s and so flower and bear fruit. The mature foliage looks similar between both groups, but the young emerging leaves of a cycad resemble a [[fiddlehead fern]] before they unfold and take their place in the rosette, while the leaves of palms are just small versions of the mature frond. Another difference is in the [[Plant stem|stem]]. Both plants leave some scars on the stem below the rosette where there used to be leaves, but the scars of a cycad are [[Helical symmetry|helically]] arranged and small, while the scars of palms are a circle that wraps around the whole stem. The stems of cycads are also in general rougher and shorter than those of palms.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Tree |last=Tudge |first=Colin |publisher=Crown Publishers |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-4000-5036-9 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/treenaturalhisto00tudg/page/70 70–72, 139–148] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/treenaturalhisto00tudg}}</ref>