What is it?

Something different today! I pass this every morning on the way to the bus stop, but never remember to blip it. Today I happened to think of it on the way home, so finally ...

I always think it looks like some kind of primaeval creature struggling to emerge from the slime, or something. It looks kind of sad, too, with that desperate eye looking out at me, and the mouth open with a silent scream! What it actually is, is the root of a tree (not sure what kind of tree, but it's a street tree). I guess it was chopped off at some point, hence the square nose.

And no, I haven't been drinking!