What Does the Name Coontie Mean?

: any of several tropical American woody cycads (genus Zamia) whose roots and stems yield a starchy foodstuff. — called also arrowroot.

Is coontie native to Florida?

The coontie, an unusual Florida native, is a cycad—a "living fossil." These primitive plants were a dominant form of plant life during the dinosaur age. Other introduced cycads commonly grown in Florida are: Cardboard plant/Mexican zamia (Zamia maritima) (Previously called Z. furfuracea.)

Is coontie endangered?

Today, they are restricted to tropical and subtropical regions and are considered endangered, but they haven't changed all that much since the Jurassic. They are dioecious, meaning that male and females have separate plants, producing their seeds or pollen on often very colorful cones.