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(alternate main image since idk which one of these to use, but more likely the background one)

Name: Mauvacken (Polyramidendron spp.)
Creator: Cube67
Ancestor: Spoke Cushio, Crooked Cushio
Habitat: Darwin
Size: 5-12 m tall
Support: Cell Wall (Cellulose), Woody Stem
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (monoecious hermaphrodite, airborne structures)

With little in the way of competition after the End-Binucleozoan Atmospheric Disturbance, the variable canopies and numerous Globanitros-filled root bulbs of the cushios allowed them to quickly become large treelike organisms. They now dominate the canopies of younger forests on Darwin, though they are able to be succeeded by taller and more durable flora.

Mauvacken (plural of mauvack) are somewhat woody, having rudimentary lignins to help with structural support. However, because mauvacken primarily invest energy into speedy growth and have few parasites to contend with, they do not invest very heavily into lignifying their trunks and branches. As a result, they are a bit softer than most woody plants on earth. In order to combat predation, mauvacken also retain the hard, wart-like thickenings of their crooked cushio ancestors. These bumps are far more lignified than the rest of the trunk, making them even more durable and unappetizing. Thanks to this, large herbivores have a difficult time scraping away tissue from mature mauvacken. The distribution of these thickenings can vary between species, though they are only found on the trunk and lower branches.

Mauvack canopies vary in size and shape, as do mauvacken themselves, though generally these canopies are fuller and rounder than those of their ancestors. The smallest branches on a fully-grown mauvack usually only get a centimeter long. Like their ancestors, mauvacken grow in a somewhat self-similar fashion, with branches taking the form of smooth rods that grow smaller versions of themselves on their tip. While new branch growth starts out in sync, it may deviate from this pattern and become more random. Mauvacken usually grow branches in sets of three, though this number can differ between species and individual branches.

Like their ancestors, mauvacken have large taproots. However, in most species the taproots have been reduced in favor of having more extensive roots near the surface to collect rainwater. Species that retain longer taproots tend to live in high-competition areas, where accessing the water table may simply be more reliable than trying to collect rainwater like most of the surrounding trees.

Mauvacken are the result of an unlikely hybridization between a population of spoke cushio and a population of crooked cushio, two relatively unrelated species within the same genus. This new genus’ success comes from the variety of features it inherited from both sides, leading to mauvacken being far more adaptable than either of their parent species. Mauvacken are usually found growing in temperate forest environments with nutrient-rich soil composed mainly of decomposed floral litter, but also thrive especially well in high-clay riparian habitats. More riparian or swamp-adapted species have larger lenticels, and more terrestrial species have wider root systems for capturing rainfall. Mauvacken are unable to germinate in sand or gravel.

The reproductive structures of mauvacken are especially unique, being a sort of hodgepodge of the reproductive methods used by their ancestors. Like the crooked cushio, their inflorescence (or “comb”) is composed of a central stalk (or “quill”) with ketkins branching out from either side at regular intervals. Unlike the crooked cushio, mauvacken grow separate inflorescences for each sex, making them monoecious. Like the crooked cushios, female ketkins are larger and thicker than male ones, though there is otherwise little difference between the two types of comb. Most mauvacken possess 3 pairs of ketkins per comb, though some species have more.

Each individual mauvack within a given species produces ketkins of both types at roughly the same time, largely abandoning the male to female shift that the crooked cushios undergo. This adaptation helps protect against predators, as the sudden abundance of food will cause predators to eventually get full and lose interest. This strategy resembles that of Terran cicadas, and is called predator satiation. To avoid further hybridization, different species of mauvack reproduce at different times of the year. Furthering the similarity to Terran cicadas, different mauvacken species often reproduce at different intervals. Some bloom annually, while others only reproduce periodically. Some mauvacken wait 15 whole years before reproducing, whereupon they produce huge lavender clouds of stringy male ketkins, followed a couple of weeks later by an equally large boom of small, aeroplanktonic “seed ribbons”.

This post has been edited by Cube67: Feb 22 2023, 08:58 AM

I might actually just change out the bit about them not having lignins yet. It's reasonable that this lineage probably has for a while, but it wasn't documented. Maybe I'll just have these be softer and less woody for a different reason. I'd like to hear various thoughts about the situation.

Sure, lignin isn't all or nothing either, it's just another ingredient that can be added on a gradient.

BTW, @Coolsteph I’d like you to review these a bit to see if anything’s amiss with the reproductive biology. It’s been a long time since I wrote the description.

@Cube67, perhaps you didn't hear, but my bout of illness, most likely the flu, will delay my ability to respond to Sagan 4 tasks. I am prioritizing rest now. Please wait three days before summoning me with urgent-sounding cues.

Oops, I had no idea. My apologies.

Anyone else know about this lineage to analyze?

I was confused by the wording of "separate inflorescences for each sex" at first. You could just say they are monoecious, with individuals producing only male or female ketkins/combs. I also didn't see anything about the inflorescences being a central stalk with ketkins branching out in crooked cushio but that could still be a feature for this.

It does mention monoeciousness (monoeciocy?) in the infobox.

Edited the description to clarify that this group already had lignins, and gave info about the roots.

I’m well enough to review perhaps 3-4 submissions which won’t need much attention and attend to some Sagan 4 tasks, though I might not be at full strength for a while. I hope people will use me as a cautionary tale of the perils of getting flu shots too early in the season for one’s area, which leads to expired protection at the peak of flu season.

“, though are able”: Though they are able.
The reproduction details should be capitalized.
“Support” is unfilled, although you did specify it was lignin.
“Hasty” suggests “carelessly fast”, rather than “fast”. It’s not appropriate here, so “speedy” would be better.
“Crooked ancestors” is too easily misinterpreted as “crooked” as in “corrupt”, so it’s better to specify it as “Crooked Cushio”.
“frankenstein” Using this, rather than “Frankenstein’s monster” or better yet “hodgepodge”, seems an oddly colloquial neologism.
“terran” This is a reference to Earth, which in some sci-fi contexts is called “Terra”. Ergo, “Terran” would be capitalized. Alternatively, you could use “Earth’s”.

I like the leaf texture brush and the variety of shapes, and the slight variation in the particular shade of purple. It was a good idea to include the reproductive structures in one of the sample images.