Sea Palm

Description:

For a minute i thought that this was a garden hose!I was quite puzzled to see it on the Mendocino coast.What was it doing here?On closer examination I found out that it was the cross-section of the stipe of a Sea palm,a rugged weed that grows on rocks,continuously bashed by the wind and water.Out of curiousity I touched it and was amazed to see how strong it was and yet flexible enough to take the constant beating of the waves.According to the wikipedia,"The sea palm has no vascular system; the stipe is only for support of the organism and holds the fronds up over other organisms so they can receive more light. The stipe is merely a firm, hollow tube, able to withstand the open air of low tide conditions as well as the crashing waves of high tide the stipe is very much more suited to the coastal habitat, as it allows the seaweed to bend with the constant wave action. Such an environment would cause the inflexible, woody tree to break"

Habitat:

fort Bragg