During recent years research on cycads has taken on an encouraging dynamism world-wide and many new taxa are being discovered and described. There are ca 276 species known to date and many researchers believe the number may reach as many as 400 species when all potential cycad habitats have been investigated and taxonomic studies are completed. In Mexico there are ca 45 species described and this figure may increase to ca 50 in the near future. Here, an outline on current research on Mexican cycads is given from varying disciplines such as morphology, anatomy, taxonomy, ecology, pollination biology, population genetics, descriptive phytogeography and molecular systematics. Although cycads have a long fossil history dating back to the Permian, recent research is indicating that most modern taxa are of relatively recent speciation and their distribution, at least in Mexico, appear to give support to the Cenozoic floristic refuge theory. This appears to be the case for the genus Ceratozamia where certain species complexes occur in southern Mexico within Pleistocene floristic refuges as the centre of origin with subsequent migrations towards the northeast during climate warming. A similar pattern seems to be evident in the genus Dioon with a centre of speciation in southern Mexico (Oaxaca) with subsequent migrations up valleys and canyons and towards the northwest (D. tomasellii) along the Mexican Pacific with a morphologically distinct species (D. sonorense) in the extreme northwestern limit. Like-wise for Dioon edule where the genetic variation was found to be maximum in the southeastern limit of its range and minimum in populations that are morphologically distinct (D. edule var. angustifolium) in the extreme northern limit. Finally, as a result of demographic studies of Cycads, an integrated conservation strategy has been developed for the sustainable management of cycad populations by rural communities.