what is inside the foxtail palm hard casing

Question

i have just moved into a house that has a number of foxtail palm trees. they are quite tall.
i am trying to learn about these palms and would like to know what the hard shell case is?
it grows to about 3 feet in length rattles when dry. it seems to have some sort of seeds inside but i know its not the actual palm seed, which is inside the fruit?
Just curious what it might be?
Brian
Rosebud
Australia

Answer 1

It appears that you are describing an immature flower sheath. The hard covering will open to reveal the flowers, which mature into seeds.
More on foxtail palms: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/foxtail-palm/foxtail-palm-tree.htm