The
cause of cresting: The cause of cresting is not fully explained, biologists
disagree as to why some plants grow in this unusual form. Some
speculate that it is a genetic mutation. Others say it is the result of
a lightning strike or freeze damage, but whatever the stimulus, the
growth point of the stem has switched from a geometric point, to a line,
which folds and undulates as the crest expands. Crested Encephalocarpus are
quite rare, cresting occurs naturally and can be encountered in many
other species.

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