Missouri Botanical Garden's cycad collection: A journey through time

Abstract Many plant collections of historical and conservation focus are housed within botanic gardens worldwide, serving as important sources of research, conservation, and education. Botanists have long been interested in cycads with their links to early seed plant evolution. In 2025, the Missouri Botanical Garden's extensive cycad collection contains 49 taxa and 9 of the 10 extant genera. Many of these plants have an eclectic history, and some of the living accessions can be traced back to the 1904 World's Fair. Several cycads in the living collections at Missouri Botanical Garden could have enhanced conservation value if their provenance can be determined via genomics and morphological comparisons. Plant conservation is increasingly being hailed as a central tenant of the current mission of contemporary botanic gardens, and engaging in cycad conservation via ex situ conservation, research, and education will serve to forward this critical mission.