English: The crown of large, edible, cabbage-like leaves that gained Dendroseris litoralis Skottsb. (Asteraceae) the common name in English of 'Cabbage Tree'.
The huge, rubbery leaves of this plant are said to have formed part of the diet of castaway Alexander Selkirk, probable inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, eponymous hero of the famous novel by Daniel Defoe. The plant is a close relative of the European sow thistles (genus Sonchus), eaten as pot herbs since the days of the Ancient Greeks. Image part of a series showing anatomy of a specimen of this critically endangered tree growing in the Temperate House of Kew Gardens, UK.
Licensing
I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license:
to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
to remix – to adapt the work
Under the following conditions:
attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
share alike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same or compatible license as the original.