天門冬科
學名：Beaucarnea recurvata Lem.
英名：Elephant's foot、Bottle ponytail、Beaucarnea、Pony tail palm、Pony Tail、Ponytail Palm、Bottle Palm、Elephant Foot Tree
為了抵禦墨西哥荒野的乾旱，樹幹基部多肉化以儲存水份、養份，植株整體有如瓶身寬、瓶口窄的酒瓶而得名，英文也稱為象腳樹，是不是也很像呢？酒瓶蘭姿態獨特，是常見的庭園景觀樹，常用在沙漠景觀設計。生長比較緩慢，在原產地有超過300歲的老樹。人工培養大約要20年以上才會開花，花序遠看像蓬鬆的鴕鳥毛，白色花朵非常細小。
In order to resist the drought in the Mexican wilderness, Elephant's foot develops fleshy trunk base to store water and nutrients. The plant shape resembles a wine bottle with a wide bottom and a narrow neck, hence the Chinese name. It is also known as Elephant’s Foot; do you think they are alike? With a unique posture, Elephant’s Foot is a common tree often planted in desert landscape. It grows relatively slow, and spans 300 years in the place of origin. It takes more than 20 years for artificial cultivation to bloom. The inflorescence are very small white flowers hence looks like fluffy ostrich hair from a distance.
酒瓶蘭屬常綠小喬木，原產墨西哥。莖幹直立，成株可高達5m。樹幹基部肥大多肉質，狀似酒瓶而得名。老株基部表皮粗糙龜裂，狀似龜甲。通常單幹，老株或有數個分枝。帶狀葉片簇生枝端，長90~200cm，寬1~2.5cm。從枝端伸出巨大的圓錐花序，長可達1m。花白色至淺黃色，花徑約0.2cm。植株要成熟才會開花，熟齡通常須20年以上。開花期夏季。
An evergreen small tree of the genus Beaucarnea, native to Mexico. Stem erect, up to 5 m when mature. The stout and fleshy trunk base makes the plant like a wine bottle which explains its common name. Cuticle at the base of old plant is rough and cracked, resembles a tortoise shell. Usually single stem but old ones are likely branched. Linear leaves are clustered in the apex of branches, up to 90 - 200 cm long and 1 - 2.5 cm wide. Large panicles protrude from the branch apex and can reach 1 m long. Flowers white to light yellow, about 0.2 cm in diameter. It usually takes more than 20 years to bloom. Flowering in summer.
栽培：全日照環境下生長良好，適應性強，不積水介質都可以種植。高溫生長期可觀察介質乾就澆水。春、夏季可各施用一次含磷鉀肥比例較高的肥料以促進基部發育生長。剝除下垂老葉，以控制葉片茂密程度。
The hardy plant is adaptable to all types of draining soil. It grows well with full sun, water whenever the medium appears dry during warm growing seasons. Apply fertilizers with higher proportion of phosphorus and potassium once in spring and summer to promote the growth of the base. Remove drooping old leaves to control leaf density.
姿態特殊具有觀賞價值。幼株作為小盆栽欣賞球形的樹幹；成株造型特異，常作為沙漠多肉植物造景或小庭院的主題樹使用。
The unusual plant shape is ornamental. Plantlets can be planted in small pots for the value of the spherical trunk; the mature ones are unique in shape, often showcased in desert-like succulent landscapes or as an accent tree in small gardens.