Sagan 4 Forum [Menu]

Name: Marajooaney (Fructiradix francisus) [Francis's fruiting roots]
Creator: Lightvsdark777
Ancestor: Frootbunch
Habitat: Glicker Monsoon Forest, Glicker Tropical Rainforest, Glicker Cloud Forest, Termite Tropical Rainforest, Termite Cloud Forest, Cube Swamp, Bot Swamp
Size: 50 cm tall crystal, 1 m tall fruiting body
Support: Cell Wall
Diet: Photosynthesis, Detritivore
Respiration: Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (subterranean water-borne spores), Asexual (budding from roots)


In the wake of the mass extinction that affected almost all life on Sagan 4, numerous niches were left open for species to exploit. With a vast majority of the tall crystal flora wiped out, smaller flora could grow taller and taller. One such species of flora is the marajooaney, a descendant of the frootbunch that has doubled in height in response to the lack of competition.

The marajooaney thrives in particularly moist areas, making it a common sight in its range. While most of its population is on Glicker, an isolated population of marajooaney dwells on Termite Island, towering over the rest of the flora, among them including their own ancestors. The answer as to why both it and its ancestor are here lies in a chance occurrance where some spardiflies ate the corpses of large herbivores that ate the marajooaney and the frootbunch. As they ate, these spardiflies accidentally consumed the seeds in the herbivore's gut. While many of these spardiflies excreted the seeds on Glicker or died when it became clogged in their intestines, some spardiflies flew to Termite Island, where they excreted the seeds or died with clogged intestines thanks to the seeds. When the seeds germinated, they found themselves in an environment with very little competition aside from their ancestors. As a result, the marajooaney and the frootbunch completely blanket the inland regions of Termite Island.

Aside from the difference in height, one notable difference in comparison to its ancestor is the main crystalline body. The main body of this crystal flora has much more chlorophyll than its ancestor, causing it to take on a stronger green tint. The marajooaney's fruit has also changed, becoming capable of fostering more berries than its ancestor, and as a result, more seeds. The fruit's "berries" now vary in size to allow smaller fauna to take and eat the berries. The fruit's colors and smell have become more pronounced, with a single individual often being smelled before it is seen. The smell now appeals to not just small arthrotheres, but to herbivores of various sizes, which readily gorge on its fruits.

Another interesting adaptation it has obtained is a developmental indicator in its berries. This feature is present so that any of its underdeveloped seeds are not eaten prematurely. When a marajooaney's fruit first develops, all of its berries are a pale yellow color. At this stage, all of its berries have an extremely bitter taste that deters fauna from eating them. However, when observed over time, its berries will change color from the ground up, slowly turning a deep shade of red. Berries at the bottom of a fruit turn red the quickest as a result of smaller fauna eating them first. Eventually, every last berry on a marajooaney will be "ripe", with their seeds fully developed. These fully developed berries taste extremely sweet and have a single crystal seed at the very center. Aside from these various changes, it is not too far removed from its ancestor.

Mutations

Aside from various minor mutations such as two crystal seeds in one berry, two mutations in the marajooaney are more noticeable. On occasion, one individual can grow two seperate fruits. Though the doubled fruits of these "orthrus" marajooaney are most commonly seperate, some abberant examples of the mutation range from two fruits growing from the same stalk to small, vestigial and inedible fruits growing from the main crystal body. Fruits that sprout from the main crystal body carry no seeds whatsoever.

On very, very rare occasions (1 out of every 20,000,000), a marajooaney's crystal seed will develop either fused to another seed or have a small twin seed sticking out of it at an odd angle. If these seeds manage to sprout, the end result is a "janus" marajooaney. These particular individuals have main bodies that are merged with the main body of a seperate individual that developed in the seed, with the appearance of the "twin" ranging from a small outgrowth on the side of the main body to two seperate main bodies merged together at one of their faces. Despite what one might think at first, the twin is not a seperate individual and is a part of the individual, with these rare mutants living out their lives normally.

I PUT THE WRONG GENERATION IN FUCK

Use full edit to change the title!

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Feb 12 2023, 02:27 PM)

Use full edit to change the title!

I CAN'T IT WON'T LET ME

Generation successfully changed!!

It's not required but it would be cool to see a visual of what janus marajooaney look like along with the last paragraph