This photograph shows a grass tree trunk disintegrating. It is made up of the bases of each of the narrow leaves, and comes away in layers or chunks. The inner trunk has a pockmarked surface from where the leaves have attached, and a hard rod in the centre, which is the remains of the flower stalk.
Grass trees Xanthorrhoea spp are endemic to Australia, growing mainly in the eastern, south-eastern and south-western coastal areas.
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UPDATE -- RESPONSE TO COMMENTS
chm -- no, not related, as you have found out.
2 comments:
This Australian Grass tree is reminiscent of the American South West Yucca tree. Are they in the same family?
In the Wikipedia page about Grass tree, I find that it is called Yacca in a South Australia aboriginal language. The similarity with the US South West name of Yucca is striking. But they're in different families. I guess the name yucca is probably a Native American name.
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