Lilliputian giants

The path is rough and narrow…

Cypress knees at White Rock Lake as seen from ground level (158_5896)

The way is hard and replete with obstacles…

Cypress knees at White Rock Lake as seen from ground level (158_5894)

Betwixt the water’s edge and my present station rests the Lilliputian giants…

A wider shot of cypress knees at White Rock Lake as seen from ground level (158_5892)

The wooden knots protruding from the ground are called cypress knees.  They are part of the root structure of bald cypress trees (Taxodium distichum).

Close-up overhead shot of cypress knees at White Rock Lake (158_5899)

The trees form these knees on their roots and push them above the surface when the tree is near or in water.  There is no definitive explanation for why this happens, although it is believed they may provide some form of structural support.

A wide shot of the base of a bald cypress and the surrounding root knees at White Rock Lake (158_5887)

While I enjoyed a relaxing morning at the lake yesterday, my eye chanced upon these intriguing structures and incited more than a bit of fascination within me.  I snapped various photos from various angles.  Below is a wider shot showing the two bald cypress trees that so enchanted me; it also indicates their nearness to the shore.

Two bald cypress trees and their root knots with White Rock Lake tucked near in the background (158_5830)

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