Stems stout and woody, bearing the leaves in a terminal crown; leaves pirally arranged, usually of two kinds, the first (scales) in several spirals, the second (leaves) large, well-developed, pinnate, rigid or leathery; plants dioecious; inflorescences terminal, staminate cone with nail-shaped scales, bearing sori on the lower surface, each sorus of 2-6 sporangia; pistillate cone or megasporophylls, the megasporophyll in Cycas somewhat foliar in appearance, sporangia lateral. Asia to Australia and the Pacific; Mexico; Cuba; Florida; Africa; etc. Nine extant genera, about 80 species. A single genus locally present.