I believe plentmowers over in Beta have a sound effect in their artwork.

Lineages being elaborated does help inspire new ideas for them. And attention from one person draws more eyes. I seem to recall in beta having someone evolve a species that was getting no attention as part of a swap, and then suddenly everyone's attention was on it and it got a ton of descendants before they even finished theirs.

I mean, I am also not male but I don't mind that. I think it's a little funny actually.

@Coolsteph could I get a comment from you on these please? For some reason this feels like something you would have a lot of comments on and it'll bug me if there are none. (my plants have been getting very few comments in general, I've noticed)

I have clarified

I've put sound effects in images before with no issues. I generally avoid it in single-species submissions, but it can be useful when depicting a genus group since there's gonna be several poses showing different behavior.

This is only the first new wingworm genus I have planned for this gen. They lost so much diversity and have been ignored so much that genus groups might just be the only reason any flighted wingworms are even still extant. They deserve love and attention.

the ferry berry taking up 40% of the image is for scale

Sweetworms (Saccharoamanspherus spp.) (sugar-loving ball)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Sapworms
Habitat: Wallace, Koseman, Fermi, Vonnegut, Barlowe, Drake, Lamarck, Ramul, Steiner, Driftwoods, Jujubee Ocean (floating flora), LadyM Ocean (floating flora), Mnid Ocean (floating flora), Atmosphere (flying flora)
Size: 3-10 mm long
Support: Exoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Frugivore, Sapivore, Nectarivore, Mellivore
Respiration: Semi-Active (Unidirectional Tracheae)
Thermoregulation: Heterotherm (Basking, Heat from Muscle Activity)
Reproduction: Sexual (Hermaphroditic, Sticky Eggs)

Sweetworms split from their ancestors, diversifying into a new genus of shell-winged worm. They have a taste for all things sweet, including fruit, nectar, sap, and honey. Originating in Wallace as a result of the rise of ferries and thus of more abundant sweet berries, they rapidly spread all over Sagan 4. They were able to cross oceans to reach other landmasses because of floating flora on the open ocean (particularly fuzzpalm derivatives on the driftwood islands), and some species even inhabit the sky, feeding on the sap of flying flora. Their tongues can be retracted into their mouths, but they are usually seen with them out, always tasting around for something sweet to eat.

During flight, sweetworms curl their abdomens under their bodies so that they can see where they are going more easily. Their hind wings are smaller and help with stability while the middle wings do most of the work keeping them aloft. When on the ground, mucus on their underbelly helps them cling to surfaces and they crawl with a slow rippling of their segments. When they find a potential food source, they “tap” it a few times with their sharp-tipped tongue to pierce the surface and verify the sweet flavor. If it is to their liking, they will use their lips to form a seal and use the tongue to draw the sweet fluid into their mouth. They are somewhat of a pest to xenobees, as they will drink their honey supply and their armor makes it difficult for the xenobees to drive them off. Sometimes, they will mistake photosynthetic surfaces on plents for a food source, as the blood in these areas is sugar-rich; they generally learn of their mistake pretty quickly, as the plent will flick them off on detection.

Sweetworms breed several times a year and lay their eggs on flora. They are winged from hatching. This is true of most wingworms, with larvae such as those of flugworms being the derived state. Hatchlings will stretch their wings out as their carapace hardens so that they don’t dry into a useless shape, and they can fly within an hour. Species in regions with cold winters will often have a breeding frenzy in the fall where all adults breed and lay eggs which stay dormant over winter, and their springtime hatching creates a population boom that many insectivorous creatures take advantage of.

There are many species of sweetworm. They come in different colors for blending in with bark and stems, or sometimes to appear as a spot on a piece of fruit they are feeding from. Some are specialists for specific food sources, but most won’t pass up any sweet meal. Some species are important pollinators, flicking their tongues into the nectar but doing no harm to the flower, but there are also nectar thieves among the genus’ ranks which pierce nectaries from the side to drain them. They can be found just about anywhere with some kind of sweet food source, though they are rare in polar biomes.

Ferries are specifically mentioned to produce berries that are only conspicuous to this group (appearing purple to most fauna but having additional color in the uv spectrum, like how most mammals can't see red berries but primates can), so there's sufficient niche partitioning. And there's a lot of insectalogues (count-wise, even if they aren't super biodiverse) so there's gonna be a lot of insectivores.


The rosybeak phlyer does not eat seeds directly and its prey list does not appear to include burrowing grubs.

The vermisnapper is not really a significant competitor as it is entirely carnivorous and specializes specifically for vermees.

The robynsnapper is not really a significant competitor as it is entirely carnivorous (why is it named after a robin when it is nothing like one?).

The gryphler is a seed specialist and therefore not really a significant competitor. Gryphlers also mostly forage on the ground for fallen seeds while the ferry quail can feed directly from trees.

A species capable of feeding from several different food sources is capable of competing and co-existing with tons of species that specialize in each individual component of its diet.

I've edited

Ferry Quail (Volucris frugivorus) (fruit-eating winged creature)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Quail Raptor
Habitat: Darwin Bush, Dorite Rocky, Dorite Chaparral, Dorite Subtropical Woodland, Darwin Highboreal, North Darwin Rocky, North Darwin Highvelt, Darwin Veldt, North Darwin Plains, Central Darwin Rocky, South Darwin Highvelt, South Darwin Rocky, South Darwin Plains, South Darwin Chaparral, South Darwin Subtropical Woodland, South Darwin Temperate Woodland, Central Wallace Veldt, Wallace Plains, Wallace Volcanic, Wallace Bush, Wallace Chaparral, Verserus Rocky, Central Wallace Highboreal, Verserus Highvelt, West Wallace Veldt, Raptor Plains, Raptor Veldt, Raptor Chaparral, Raptor Highvelt, Raptor Volcanic, Raptor Highboreal, Iituem Plains Archipelago, Martyk Temperate Woodland Archipelago, Koseman Temperate Woodland, Vivus Highboreal, Vivus Rocky; Atmosphere (Troposphere) while crossing stretches of water
Size: 30 cm long
Support: Endoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Omnivore (Ferry berries, Feroak berries, Cragmyr berries, Robust Arid Ferine berries, Bristlepile berries, Fuzzpile berries, Scrubland Quhft berries, Sandy Orbibom berries, Cliff Bristler berries, Quilbil berries, Twin-Tail Orbibom berries, Woodyshroom achenes, Shaggy Volleypom megaspores, Bangsticks seeds, Yuccagave seeds, Snow Windbulb seeds, Quone nuts, Coniflor capsules, Vermees, Floraverms, Teacup Sauceback larvae, Minikruggs, Silkruggs, Whiskrugg, Cleaner Borvermid, False Cleaner Borvermid, Communal Janit, Grub Krugg, Nightcrawler Borvermid, Corkscrew Krugg)
Respiration: Active (Microlungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Feathers)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Hard-Shelled Eggs in Nests)

The ferry quail split from its ancestor. It has taken to an arboreal lifestyle making use of its splayed tail spurs and elongated, clawed toes to grasp the branches of trees. Unlike its ancestor which lives deep in the old growth dark forests, the ferry quail lives in the younger growth forests, open shrublands, and plains where sun-loving purple trees such as ferries can be found. It also feeds on ferry berries, as long as they are in season where it resides, and contributes greatly to their distribution. In fact, it is thanks to the ferry quail that ferries exist on the Koseman landmass, as it will fly over short stretches of ocean to nearby islands when there’s too much competition and carries ferry seeds with it in its gut. It will also consume other kinds of berries, but ferry berries are its favorite, as it nests in their branches. Outside of the fruiting season, it mostly eats worms and seeds.

The ferry quail is a better flier and is streamlined compared to its ancestor. It has rubbery skin surrounding its spiracles where its ceres once lay, and its external sauce plate appears as only a scute on its back. There are no feathers directly on the top of its back, but its broad contour feathers cover it up. It can cool down on a hot day by spreading the feathers to expose its back. It has lost its central tail spike and its tail fan is flatter. It has also, in a more figurative sense, streamlined its vision; its many eyestrils, each corresponding to an oral spine as a consequence of their origins as gums, are now gathered into compound eyestrils. This occurred as a result of the scent line tightening into a zigzag on the side of the head. This is imperfect, as 2-6 additional clusters of eyestrils with little functional use form on top of its head.

The ferry quail has a call which sounds similar to a door creaking, with which it communicates with other ferry quails, establishes territory, or attracts a mate. It is no longer capable of echolocating, as preferring more sunlit environments has completely eliminated the need for such an ability, but it is still capable of producing high-pitched clicks and chirps with its tongue. The skin around its eyestrils is colorful in the ultraviolet spectrum and its underbelly is conspicuous, traits which aid in species identification, social interaction, and sexual selection.

Image caption: Chick.


The ferry quail no longer nests on the ground. Instead, it constructs a nest in a ferry tree or some similar tree or shrub, hidden among the branches. Like its ancestor, it uses twigs, feathers, hair, trichomes, and plent cotton to construct the nest. It mates in the spring. It lays 3-5 eggs per clutch which take roughly 2 weeks to hatch, with both parents taking turns incubating the eggs. Unlike its ancestor, the ferry quail’s offspring are blind, naked, and helpless, vaguely resembling passerine nestlings. This is because the safety of the trees made well-developed young no longer advantageous, so it was selected against. The nestlings are mostly fed small binucleid worms by both parents, and they reach the fledgling stage after just 2 more weeks. They take another 2 weeks to build up enough strength to be independent. They begin breeding the following spring. As small creatures susceptible to predation, very few survive their first year and they have a life expectancy of only 2, but an especially lucky individual can live for as long as 20.

Ferries (Frondibaca spp.) (frond-berry)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Robust Arid Ferine
Habitat: Wallace, Koseman
Size: 1-8 meters tall, 2-15 cm long berries, 5-10 cm long leaves, 2-5 mm long seeds
Support: ?
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Flowers, Berries, Seeds)

Ferries split from their ancestor and diversified into a genus of bushes, shrubs, and small trees found all over Wallace and the surrounding islands, as well as in Koseman. Sun-loving flora, they are common in shrublands and savannas and make up many of the trees in the intermediate stages of ecological succession in the woodland biomes. They provide fleshy edible berries for fauna to eat, which in turn allow them to readily spread to new biomes through feces. They are flowering flora which depend on pollination from fauna such as xenobees, for which they provide nectar.

Ferries have a number of differences from their ancestor. The trunk is generally narrower, allowing faster growth. Their branches are lignified and form a broader, flatter shape, and only the leaves shed over winter. Ferry leaves are a little broader and less needle-like, allowing them to catch more light. Leaves sprout from a central woody stem in a frond-like shape which might be either bilateral or glide-symmetrical. The branches still periodically shed, mostly older ones dropping as the newer ones cut them off from light. This is why ferries still retain the distinct bark texture and "lip" of other carnofern-derivatives.

Ferry flowers have three petals, which are often forked. The petals vary in color between species and even inside a single species, with common colors including coral pink, bright blue, white, and lime green. For each of the three petals there are three clusters of stamens, which produce the puffy spores, and in the center there is a cluster of ovaries each with their own pistil. Once pollinated, the petals fall off and the ovaries grow into a cluster of berries.

Ferry berries are fleshy and juicy and may be either sweet, tart, or both. They are purple until they ripen, at which point they will take on a color visibly distinct from the leaves, usually orange, yellow, or green. Occasionally, they might appear to stay purple, but in fact take on a color using light in the ultraviolet spectrum, making them only conspicuous to jewel-eyed saucebacks and other creatures with such good color vision. A few species have bright pink berries which are poisonous to non-plents, as plents are the least likely to destroy the seeds by chewing them. Theoretically, jewel-eyed saucebacks are better seed-distributors than plents because they also do not chew seeds and their through guts can hold seeds for much longer (thus increasing the chances that seeds will be dispersed far away), but at the time of evolution there were considerably more berry-eating plents than saucebacks, which is why plent specialization still evolved. Tall rainforest and riverside species produce the biggest fruits, as they have plenty of water to do so, though they are notably not especially common in rainforests even without the shade of obsiditrees due to the low organic content of the soil.

There are many species of ferry, and the genus speciates readily. Often, many species will exist in the same biome, producing different fruits favored by different fauna. They come in bush, shrub, and tree form and require fertile soil to grow. Ferry bushes are common in shrublands and will populate an expanding or recovering forest before small trees arrive. Shrubs, too, populate the shrublands and young growth forests, and they are commonly found in wetlands and along intermittent rivers as well. The tallest ferry trees, though quite small as far as trees go, survive in young forests as long as they have not yet been taken over by shade trees. Ferry bushes and shrubs are also found scattered in the open plains. The season in which they bloom and produce fruit varies to avoid competition with one another, with only the late fall and winter for deciduous species being off-limits, though spring, early fall, and the wet season are the most common fruiting seasons.

Tropical ferry species are “everpurple” and always have some leaves, though they still shed them regularly, and in colder regions leaves must be shed annually. Leaves turn a pale orangish-pink color before shedding. Some species are able to survive high in the mountains with tougher, more bristle-like leaves, but they are not especially suited to year-round icy conditions. That said, however, very small ferry bush species have nonetheless managed to colonize the subpolar tundra, laying leafless and dormant most of the year and taking advantage of snowmelt during the brief summer growing season. They are absent from deserts, apart from the aforementioned tundra.

Ferries usually sprout in the wet season or spring thaw regardless of when their fruiting season is. Small species reach maturity within their first year while the largest ones may take 3 or 4. They usually only live for about 10-15 years, but some larger species can live even longer in proper conditions.

New misinterpretation discovered: The "chin-spike" of glasseaters...was actually the paired horizontal lower incisors of their ancestors.

Um, how should we handle this? @TheBigDeepCheatsy @MNIDJM @OviraptorFan

It's a dundigger, yes. I figured it wasn't really super important to identify it.

There's a surprisingly small number of small fauna. We need more little guys, rabbit size and smaller.

Awkward perspective and feathers

The excretion sac is internal. The skin is external. It's referring to separate organs.

Wallyhawk (Wallytherium ungualis) (wally-beast with claw-wings)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Woodsalcon
Habitat: Wallace Plains, Central Wallace Veldt, Central Darwin Rocky, South Darwin Highvelt, South Darwin Rocky, South Darwin Plains, South Darwin Chaparral, Wallace Volcanic, Wallace Bush, Wallace Chaparral, Verserus Rocky, West Wallace Veldt, Verserus Highvelt, Raptor Plains, Raptor Veldt, Raptor Highvelt, Raptor Volcanic, Raptor Chaparral, Raptor Badlands, Wallace Desert, Darwin Temperate Desert
Size: 80 cm long
Support: Endoskeleton (Chitin)
Diet: Carnivore (Teacup Saucebacks, Southern Scrambler, Pink Scrambler, Mouse Gryphler, Interbiat, Neoshrew, Rosybeak Phlyer, Cragagon, Barkback, High Grassland Ukback, Stygmogg, Sitting Dundi, Nightsnapper, Binsnoo, Scrub Barkback, Scrambled Shrew, Phouka, Gryphler, Eggslurping Sorite, Velocitoon, Dusty Spelunkhoe, Handlicker Dundi, Gulperskunik, Sabulyn, Dundigger, juvenile Varant, juvenile Xatagolin, juvenile Xatazelle, juvenile Grassland Lizatokage, juvenile Opportunity Shrew, juvenile Argusraptors, juvenile Tigmow, juvenile Ouranocorn, juvenile Ramchin, juvenile Oviaudiator, juvenile Hearthead, juvenile Mothhead, juvenile Argeiphlock, juvenile Ascendophrey, juvenile Vultoph, juvenile Snoofloo, juvenile Striped Phlock, juvenile Plehexapod, juvenile Giant Hornface, juvenile Scrubland Hornface, juvenile Gruesloo, juvenile Boschian Paardavogel, juvenile Ophan Scimitar, juvenile Desert Tilecorn, juvenile Stride Sauceback, juvenile Saucebow, juvenile Skewer Shrog, juvenile Twigfisher Shrog, juvenile Guangu, juvenile Dinotuga, juvenile Pickaxe Tamow, juvenile Tigmadar, juvenile Disasterxata, juvenile Stink Shrew)
Respiration: Active (Unidirectional Macrolung)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Feathers)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Hard-Shelled Eggs)

The wallyhawk is descended from woodalcons which were isolated along Irinya as the forests they called home shrank. Unsuited to surviving in such a narrow environment, the Irinya population became extinct, but not before producing a descendant which lived on and re-adapted for a more open environment. Like its close relatives, it is a flying eagle- or hawk-like predator which sees any small creature on the ground and not in flight as potential food. Like its ancestor, it hunts by swooping down and snatching prey with its jaws, which can bypass shorter spikes.

The wallyhawk has a few features which make it slightly different from other ophreys at the time of evolution. Most species have roughly symmetrical jaws which fit together awkwardly and can’t fully close the mouth. The wallyhawk’s jaws, however, are asymmetrical, allowing it to close its mouth tightly and reduce water loss. This also allows it to bite down harder on its prey, increasing the chances of a successful kill. It also has flatter, more foot-like hooves, granting it more stability on the ground. The formerly vestigial nail on its wing toe has become a hooked claw, allowing it to climb up and stand in trees and shrubs. Some of its eyes now point more forwards, aiding in binocular vision.


Image caption: Wing

The wallyhawk’s climbing method looks strange to an observer. Rather than the wing claws pulling it up the tree, it pushes down, the claw on its wing toe hooking into the bark as it appears to “walk” with its legs hugging the tree. On steep slopes it will use its jaws to aid in this, somewhat like a parrot, but if the trunk or branch is more diagonal, it won’t need to. Because the wing feathers obscure the claw from the side, it appears as though it is stepping on nothing and inexplicably sliding up the tree, like a glitchy video game character on bad collision geometry.

Being able to climb in this manner, as opposed to using a form of wing-assisted incline-running like other jewel-eyed saucebacks, allows the wallyhawk to scale a tree noiselessly and while expending less energy, as well as allowing it to climb vertical surfaces. It can also stop wherever it pleases and even perch, which it could not do with feather-flapping. It will step up to stand with its hooves before taking off from a branch.

The wallyhawk is solitary and territorial for most of the year, except during its annual breeding season. Its breeding season corresponds with the late spring or early summer in the southern hemisphere. It no longer nests on the ground, instead constructing a nest high in a tree or large shrub far away from most predators as its new ability allows, and in the sparsest parts of its range breeding pairs may fight over nesting sites. This behavior is quite far removed from the communal nesting of its ancestor. Its offspring are still decently developed at birth, though still flightless, but they rarely leave the nest until they can fly. Fledgelings generally remain in or near their tree being fed fresh meat by their parents. Once they can hunt on their own, the juveniles leave the tree, but they generally remain more arboreal than the adults while they are still learning how to use thermals.

The wallyhawk’s adaptations made it better suited for the niche of “eagle” than its relatives. As a result, it has outcompeted the following where their ranges overlap: Faxon, Sausophrey, and Sansaws.

Only the creator of a species can decanonize it.

I replaced one comma with a semicolon

I don't think it could survive actually being cut in half. But it could live after some minor disemboweling.

Mouse Gryphler (Gryphomus gryphomus) (gryphon-mouse gryphon-mouse)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Gryphler
Habitat: Wallace Plains, Central Wallace Veldt, Central Darwin Rocky, South Darwin Highvelt, South Darwin Rocky, South Darwin Plains, South Darwin Chaparral, Wallace Volcanic, Wallace Bush, Wallace Chaparral, Verserus Rocky, West Wallace Veldt, Verserus Highvelt, Raptor Plains, Raptor Veldt, Raptor Highvelt, Raptor Volcanic, Raptor Chaparral, Raptor Badlands, Wallace Desert, Darwin Temperate Desert
Size: 10 cm long
Support: Endoskeleton (Stiffened Unjointed Wood)
Diet: Herbivore (Scrubland Quhft fruit, Bangsticks seeds, Coniflor capsules, Cragmyr berries, Robust Arid Ferine berries, Crystal Entourage Swordgrass spore crystals, Yuccagave seeds, Snow Windbulb seeds, Quone nuts, Shaggy Volleypom megaspores, Quilbil berries, Crystamble crystals, Inda bulbs, Sandy Orbibom seeds, Desert Carnofern berries, Coastal Goth Tree seeds), Photosynthesis
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Trichomes)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth)

The mouse gryphler split from its ancestor. As its name suggests, it is very small--roughly the size of a mouse. Similar to its ancestor, it eats seeds, but it will also use its beak to crack open small crystals. It varies somewhat in color across its range to blend in with different soil colors, and in the deserts it is able to use its wings as radiators to remove excess heat. A row of soft trichomes guard its ears and streamline its head. Unlike its ancestor, the mouse gryphler prefers to come out in the mornings and evenings when it has fewer predators and can catch at least some sunlight.

The mouse gryphler’s toes are no longer solid wood and instead have muscles attaching on the inside. This allows it to deform them to bend the toes, working like a flexible exoskeleton. The ends of the toes are tipped in stiffer wood which can be used to scratch. However, it still digs using its beak. Like its ancestor, its skeleton contains stiffer wood than that of most other plents; however it is still able to deform its unjointed bones to the same degree as other plents with unjointed skeletons. This is because at its small size, and that of its ancestor, even a core of stiffened wood bends when pulled by muscles. However, this feature also allows gryphlers as a group to have skinnier bones than other plents without them bending under their own weight.

The mouse gryphler’s internal excretion sac reabsorbs some of the water from its liquid waste, making it more concentrated and almost paste-like. This allows it to more easily thrive in dry environments. Like other plents, it has a blind gut and must regurgitate all waste. It has ceased excreting liquid waste from its skin at all and has instead repurposed the excretion glands to produce oil, which protects and strengthens its trichomes. Like its ancestor, it can dig shallow burrows using its beak to store seeds and crystals to feed on out of season.

Like its ancestor, the mouse gryphler mates mouth-to-mouth by “tongue-kissing” and gestates young in a womb which hangs at the base of the neck. It nests hidden among flora and gives live birth to 4 or 5 offspring at a time, which are small but already capable of walking and even short bursts of flight and will follow their mother. It breeds several times a year, lacking a mating season.

Do you have suggestions?

Southern Scrambler (Geminatisorex meridianus) (southern twin-shrew)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Pink Scrambler
Habitat: West Wallace Veldt, Raptor Plains, Raptor Veldt, Raptor Chaparral, Raptor Highvelt, Raptor Volcanic, Wallace Chaparral, Wallace Bush, Wallace Volcanic, Central Wallace Veldt, Wallace Plains, South Darwin Highvelt, South Darwin Rocky, South Darwin Plains, South Darwin Chaparral, Central Darwin Rocky, Verserus Rocky, Verserus Highvelt
Size: 25 cm long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet: Omnivore (Pioneeroots, Marbleflora, Supershrooms, Sapshrooms, Sapworms, Dartirs, Vermees, Minikruggs, Teacup Sauceback larvae, Neuks, Mikuks, Aphluks, Xenobees, Xenowasps, Wallace Puffgrasses, Crystal Entourage Swordgrasses, Gamergate Gundis, Chitjorns, Tamed Berry Arbourshrooms, Quaxaca, Trailblazer, Quassagule, Fuzzyfan, Snow Windbulb, Undergroundi, Dardiwundi, Crystamble crystals, Grovecrystal crystals, Signpost Crystamboo crystals, Arid Puffgrass, Inda, Piomike, Sapprong, Prongoli, Quillfence, Raptorgrak, Sunstalks, Bludblug, Scrubland Quhft fruit, Bangsticks seeds, Coniflor capsules, Cragmyr berries, Robust Arid Ferine berries, Bristlepile berries, Cliff Bristler berries, Fuzzpile berries, Sandy Orbibom berries), Generalist Ovivore (shelled eggs on the ground or shallowly buried), Scavenger, steals stored food from shrog nests
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Fur)
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, live birth, pouch and milk)

The southern scrambler replaces its ancestor where their ranges overlap. It lives in much of the southern part of the Wallace supercontinent, though its range stops above the subpolar line. Similar to its ancestor, it is a generalist as well as a potential food source for medium-sized predators. It varies in color across its range, either matching soil color or having broad vertical stripes like depicted here to blend in with dry puffgrasses.

Much like its ancestor, the southern scrambler is capable of remarkable regeneration. Notably, its skin tears easily and its tail is more prone to breaking off, which allows it to escape even if it’s been grabbed. It stops bleeding very quickly and can, with time, fully regrow any lost body parts. Regeneration is not limited to skin and appendages; it can regrow eyes, internal organs, and even parts of its brain. Much like its ancestor, it is capable of acquiring duplicate body parts if one only partially detaches, and it will sometimes have accessory organs, including functional accessory lungs.

The southern scrambler is capable of infesting shrog nests and making them uninhabitable by eating all the food stores and breeding too quickly to be controlled. Though generally solitary, it may work as a mob to attack the nest’s owner when threatened, fully claiming it as their own. This behavior has resulted in one shrog, the twineshrog, becoming extinct within its range, as it’s far too dependent on its nests and uses far too much energy with its survival strategies to recover consistently after an infestation.

The southern scrambler is generally solitary. Like its ancestor, it has marsupial-like reproduction. It breeds 6 times a year and gives birth to 5-12 joeys at a time. Newborns are helpless and spend the first few weeks of their lives in a pouch.

Through consumption of seeds and berries, the southern scrambler has spread the following:

- Bangsticks to Raptor Plains, Central Wallace Veldt, and Wallace Plains
- Coniflor to Central Wallace Veldt
- Robust Arid Ferine to Raptor Plains, Central Wallace Veldt, and Wallace Plains (and likewise the Treedundi also spread, expanding its range to include South Darwin Highvelt, Wallace Plains, Verserus Highvelt, West Wallace Veldt, Central Wallace Veldt, Raptor Plains, Raptor Veldt, and Raptor Highvelt)
- Bristlepile to Raptor Plains, Central Wallace Veldt, Wallace Plains, Wallace Chaparral, Wallace Bush, and Wallace Volcanic
- Fuzzpile to Wallace Chaparral and Wallace Bush
- Cliff Bristler to Wallace Chaparral, Wallace Bush, and Wallace Volcanic
- Scrubland Quhft to Raptor Plains, Wallace Chaparral, Wallace Bush, Wallace Volcanic, Central Wallace Veldt, and Wallace Plains

Textspeak is an archaic term for abbreviations used in text messages back when letters were assigned to numbers in groups of 3 or 4 on cell phone number pads, which made typing take a very long time, thus necessitating the evolution of language to produce useful shorthand such as "lol", "btw", "ttyl", and others. (Surprisingly, some, such as "omg", are considerably older, having appeared in hand-written letters over a century ago). Many of these stuck around even after their original use was lost, becoming true words in the written English language which are generally considered acceptable to use in informal conversation.

Coolsteph doesn't like them.

Wallace Puffgrasses (Porphuratypha spp.)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestors: Puffgrass, Tropical Puffgrass, Beach Puffgrass
Habitat: Wallace, Koseman
Size: 25 centimeters-2 meters tall
Support: Cell Wall (Cellulose)
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Puffy Spores)

The Wallace puffgrasses integrate their ancestors, the puffgrass, the tropical puffgrass, and the beach puffgrass, and further diversify into additional species both larger and smaller. They are small, numerous herbs which fill the role of ground cover in some parts of Wallace and Koseman, and they generally populate bare soil after the arrival of crystal entourage swordgrasses, but before the arrival of larger flora. Their leaves and stalk grow from a point very low to the ground, which makes it more likely that they will have some of their stem left over from which they can heal. Contrary to their name, they are not particularly grasslike, as they do not bud.

There are many species of Wallace puffgrass. The tallest species thrive in large numbers in open biomes such as the plains and shrublands, and they are still able to reach as tall as a meter in open frigid biomes such as the alpine tundra. Some of the smallest species live in harsher environments such as among rock that has yet to be completely turned to soil, newly cooled lava flows, or in the polar barrens where there is only a very short period in which they can grow; these are annual, only germinating in brief favorable conditions and dying soon after producing their spores. Some species are able to tolerate salty conditions, such as beaches and mangals, by concentrating salt and other excess in certain leaves and shedding them. Similar has actually been present in all puffgrasses to remove other excess minerals, and some species use this to remove metals. The only environment with soil that they find no success in is in the shade of the old growth dark forests, but even here, fertilized spores may lay dormant waiting for a tree to die and expose the forest floor to sunlight.

Wallace puffgrasses seasonally produce spores at the tops of their puffy stalks, which vary in number between species (extra stalks having evolved several times independently). Ordinarily, gametes meeting in midair is not very effective. However, the spores of puffgrasses, and puffplants as a whole, are puffy, which allows them to collide more easily and be blown into the air again if they fail. Some species thrive in clearings and young growth forests with little wind; these often have smaller spores and may meet in water instead. Some species have stiff leaves which can retain water very well, while some others have more flexible leaves that can resist strong wings. Some species produce spores once a year, but some, especially those with many predators, will do so many times a year instead, maximizing reproductive success.

Wallace puffgrasses have a relationship with the crystal entourage swordgrasses. The swordgrasses grow first, covering the ground before the soil can support anything else and feeding off of organic content in the substrate. However, eventually, the faster-growing purple flora arrive, and Wallace puffgrasses in particular can seemingly rapidly replace the swordgrasses entirely. However, this is only what seems to be happening at the surface, and on closer examination the swordgrasses’ spore capsules are still visible among the puffgrasses’ leaves. In reality, the swordgrasses’ mycelial network remains underground, and many puffgrasses have formed a symbiotic relationship with the swordgrasses, exchanging some of their sugars for nitrogenous compounds that they can use to help grow. This benefits both: accepting sugars provided by the puffgrasses has a greater net energy profit to the swordgrasses than growing crystal leaves, which also leaves them with excess ammonium waste, which the puffgrasses are able to use to grow and thus make more sugar in a positive feedback loop. This symbiosis also allows the two genera to compete well with their “shared enemy”, the comparatively light-choking black flora, by growing more quickly than them.

Crystal Entourage Swordgrasses (Crystallogladius spp.) (crystal-sword)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Crystal Swordgrass
Habitat: Wallace, Koseman
Size: 20-100 cm tall crystals, variable colony width
Support: Cell Wall and Flexible Shell (Chitin)
Diet: Photosynthesis, Detritivore
Respiration: ?
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Airborne Spores), Asexual (Budding)

The crystal entourage swordgrasses split from their ancestor and diversified, becoming a common sight all across Wallace, Koseman, and surrounding islands. They are effective analogues to grass, more so than the “puffgrasses”, but with a catch: they are decomposers which depend on organic content in the soil to grow quickly, due to their chitinous cell walls necessitating greater nitrogen intake than the cellulose-based purple flora. True to their name, some species are somewhat stiff and sharp and can cut the lips of predators, but most are relatively soft for crystal flora, their ancestors having sacrificed protection from predators for faster growth.

The crystal entourage swordgrasses, like their ancestor, have two types of crystal: the leaves which appear above ground aligned with the position of the sun and capture sunlight, and the much smaller, mostly hollow spore capsules. Unlike their ancestor, however, the crystal entourage swordgrasses produce said capsules above-ground on skinny, fast-growing, often branching mycelial stems which are only a single cell thick. This allows them to make use of wind and fauna to transport their spores instead. In biomes without much wind, such as the woodlands, they depend somewhat on spores getting caught in the fur, feathers, trichomes, or cotton of fauna which walk over them. When eaten by grazers, some spores will survive the trip through the digestive tract and be safely transported somewhere far away. They still depend on water to bring spores together. Leaf crystals only emerge from the soil in the presence of sunlight, but spore crystals can emerge in the dark, covering the dark forest floor in tiny crystals which seem to float, their skinny reddish stems nearly invisible in the dim light. No species is truly leafless, and even the rare sight of one in a cave will grow some should a ray of light reach it.

Some crystal entourage swordgrasses retain the scattered growth of their ancestor, however others may grow close clusters of leaves. The mycelium is able to “know” where leaves are already present to choose where to grow a new one depending on what’s most favorable for the environmental conditions. Wherever there are leaves, there are also spore capsules, which to the untrained eye can be mistaken for a separate species accompanying the swordgrass but are in fact a part of the same organism. Some species, particularly in regions with cold winters, only produce spore capsules seasonally.

Crystal entourage swordgrasses can be found anywhere where there is organic material in the soil. They typically only start to appear in the third stage of ecological succession where soil has already begun to form, though they are contributors to soil formation themselves as they encroach on more barren regions. They are often among the first organisms to reclaim bare soil following a wildfire, as being decomposers they are better able to survive the stripped environment than true grasses and can feed off of the burned flora and wildlife. In deserts, they may rarely pop up on a carcass but will generally only be found near oases, as they are not especially arid-adapted.

Crystal entourage swordgrasses have a relationship with the Wallace puffgrasses. The swordgrasses grow first, covering the ground before the soil can support anything else and feeding off of organic content in the substrate. However, eventually, the faster-growing purple flora arrive, and Wallace puffgrasses in particular can seemingly rapidly replace the swordgrasses entirely. However, this is only what seems to be happening at the surface, and on closer examination the swordgrasses’ spore capsules are still visible among the puffgrasses’ leaves. In reality, the swordgrasses’ mycelial network remains intact underground, and many puffgrasses have formed a symbiotic relationship with the swordgrasses, exchanging some of their sugars for nitrogenous compounds that they can use to help grow. This benefits both: accepting sugars provided by the puffgrasses has a greater net energy profit to the swordgrasses than growing crystal leaves, which also leaves them with excess ammonium waste, which the puffgrasses are able to use to grow and thus make more sugar in a positive feedback loop. This symbiosis also allows the two genera to compete well with their “shared enemy”, the comparatively light-choking black flora, by growing more quickly than them. Interestingly, the ancestors of swordgrasses were once the hypercompetitive cellulosebanes which wiped out entire branches of purple flora, making this alliance a significant turn for the lineage.