Bush plants

[Rhanna]

The bush scene about 8 k from where I live.
Rupert

[raynerj1]

Now that are some weird plants... a Cross between a sea urchin and a pussy willow... what is it called? A bottle brush?

Nice shot... thanks for posting it.

[steve.ledger]

They're called 'Grass Trees' John - sometimes known as a Black Boy (especially after a bush fire as they resemble a small aboriginal boy holding up his spear)
Botanical name: Xanthorrhoea

[raynerj1]

Thanks Steve. It is definently not like the plants in this neck o the woods. So I asked.

[Rhanna]

Steve, thanks for the description. I thought I had better not give it the bush name for fear of offending someone. I didn't know the other names. Yours was a very accurate description. I was surprised to find them down here in this quite cold winter location.
They are prevelant up north and in the centre of Australia. I have a SLIDE with a spear of about ten feet (3 metres), quite remarkable.
Rupert

[steve.ledger]

No worries Rupert.
I lived in Bundeena NSW for some years which is surrounded by the Royal National Park. I often bushwalked there and photographed many native flora (with my first slr, a ZENITH).
The Grass Tree's are very common there. Although the term Blackboy is becoming politically incorrect, I see no harm in it - they can actually look like an aborignal boy with a spear so the problem is what?.
I believe they are also known as Yakka in SA?