the crownshaft takes the form of a column above the main trunk and beneath the main crown of leaves and is nothing but the collection of the leaf bases of the plant, all tightly wrapped around one another. it is usually green in color but may be a different color from that of the leaves themselves, including white, blue, red, brownish or orange. each layer of the crownshaft is a distinct leaf base and is usually made of a tough fibrous material with a feel similar to leather and in many parts of the world, it is cured and used to prepare covers, sheets and roofing material. the leaf base of some palms are also used to extract coir.