Dioon califanoi

Dioon califanoi is an accepted Mexican cycad recorded from Puebla and Oaxaca. Its strongly keeled fronds and upward-angled leaflets create a folded, sculptural crown that reads differently from a flat-leaved cycad. ## Form and siting The original botanical description distinguishes D. califanoi by keeled fronds and leaflets inserted obliquely above the rachis. Kew places its native range in the seasonally dry tropical biome, while a [Huntington living-collection record](https://www.huntington.org/collections/bot-130803?img=3) documents the species in cultivation. The [1979 description](https://www.cycad.org/documents/descriptions/Dioon/Dioon-califanoi.pdf) provides the diagnostic frond form. Use it as a specimen where the leaf profile can be seen and the crown has room away from paths. For garden or container culture, a sheltered position with free drainage is a cautious choice; adjust watering to heat, exposure, and the growing medium rather than imposing a fixed calendar. Its seasonal-dry native setting informs site selection but does not by itself show how much drought a cultivated plant will tolerate. ## Maintenance Keep the growing crown undisturbed and avoid waterlogging around the base. Remove only damaged or fully dead fronds, handling the stiff foliage carefully. In pots, use a stable container with drainage and sufficient root room. The [Plants of the World Online profile](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:80645-2) summarizes its accepted name and native range.