Zamia pumila, commonly known as guáyiga or guáyara in Spanish, is a small, tough, woody cycad native to the Greater Antilles.
Over time, it forms a multi-branched cluster, with a large, tuberous root system, which is actually an extension of the above-ground stems.
It is currently known to exist on central Cuba, southern Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic on Hispaniola; populations formerly also occurred in Haiti, but have possibly become extirpated there due to intensive land use.
This plant is poisonous, producing a toxin called cycasin that affects the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.
The toxin can however be removed by careful leaching, and the roots and half-buried stems were used by the Taíno people for their yield of a starch.