Sotetsu cluster

Sotetsu (Cycus revoluta) grows naturally only in certain parts of China, Amami Oshima, and Okinawa. It has been utilized as boundary markers as well as windbreak plants for crops on Amami throughout history. During times of famine, islanders prepared and ate the seeds and trunks of Sotetsu, despite their poisonous nature if not prepared correctly. Nowadays Sotetsu is still incorporated into Amami cuisine in dishes such as 'nari-miso,' a type of miso that uses bits of the Sotetsu seeds.