Ficus tettensis after attacks

The small-leaved rock fig is often so firmly entrenched in its secure base that most incidental above-ground damage is survived. Reduced to imposing trunk and basal branches or upper roots, the foliage is here a stump-hugging cover rather than crown or canopy.

Creamy smooth and firm, cloaked in the green of the moment among arid, seasonal withdrawal, its statuesque presence will not be denied. Character may convey gravitas lacking in blazoned success.