Definition

Noun 1. A cycad plant: "Seminole bread" is the common name for a specific, small, tough, woody cycad plant (Zamia integrifolia or Zamia floridana) native to Florida, the West Indies, and Cuba. 2. A source of edible starch: Historically, the roots and partially buried stems of this plant were processed by the Seminole people and others to yield a type of arrowroot or starch used for food.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The Seminole bread is a hardy plant that grows in sandy soils.
  • Archaeological evidence shows that the Seminole bread plant was an important food source.
  • The starch extracted from Seminole bread was used to make a type of bread.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Botanical Context: The term is primarily used in historical, anthropological, or botanical contexts to refer to the plant and its traditional use. It is not a term for modern food items.
  • The survival skill involved knowing how to safely process the toxic compounds in Seminole bread to obtain edible starch.

Variants and Related Words

• Coontie (n): Another common name for the same plant ().
  • The coontie is often used in native Florida landscaping.
• Florida arrowroot (n): A name referring to the starch produced from this plant.
  • The production of Florida arrowroot from the plant declined in the 20th century.

Synonyms

• Zamia (n): The botanical genus name for this and related plants.
  • Several zamia species are popular in ornamental horticulture.

Noun

1. small tough woody zamia of Florida and West Indies and Cuba; roots and half-buried stems yield an arrowroot