While at first glance it looks like a short Joshua tree, this nolina, nolina parryi, another form of yucca, usually grows only a few feet tall. It has long, grass-like leaves and, in the late spring, if there has been enough rain, will shoot up a five- or six-foot tall, white flower stalk.
The stalks provided abundant and dependable food for Cahuilla Indians. They were baked in stone-lined pits, converting the fibrous material into a rich, molasses-like consistancy.
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Parry's Nolina (nolina parryii)