Cristate

Plants can be very curious. About 100 species, most of them cacti and succulents, can develop this distorted type of growth. It can be caused by hormonal imbalance or by bacteria. The result is that they tend to grow sideways to form a crest.

This occurs in nature, but humans, always looking for something different, try to make it happen so that they can sell them as curiosities in garden centres.

The word cristate is drawn from Crest. I believe the process is also known as fasciation.

Anyway, the cake in the garden centre tea room was delicious.