Sagan 4 Forum [Menu]

Name: Stellafrutex (Stellafrutex spp.)
Creator: Cube67
Ancestor: Purpleblade
Habitat: Glicker, Glicker Freshwater
Size: 30-50 cm (excluding inflorescence)
Support: Cell wall (cellulose)
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive (stomata)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (2 sexes, gamete spores, monoecious, viviparous (enclosed seedlike propagules)), Budding

With the once-prosperous reign of crystal flora now reduced to rubble (sometimes literally), certain areas of Glicker were left with few advanced purpleflora and large gaps in size between the few remaining floral species. However, with a few minor advantages, a new generalized genus of purpleblade was able to explode in diversity and spread throughout Glicker, providing sustenance for a more robust community of herbivores and sheltering the carnivores that hunt them. This new player in the story of Glicker is the genus Stellafrutex.

Though diverse, Stellafrutex species tend to look somewhat similar to each other despite their relatively wide climate tolerance, with their main climate adaptation being stomata count. Though they may be similar to each other, Stellafrutex are noticeably different from their ancestors in several ways, mainly in regards to their reproductive organs. Unlike their evolutionary cousins, which usually have 3 appendages on their inflorescence, Stellafrutex species have 5 or more of them, with a few species having a whopping 15. This change gives them far more surface area devoted to macrogamete production. Their “seeds” are now around 1 cm long and teardrop-shaped. They possess a thicker and harder coating to prevent them from germinating near their parents. The area of the leaf that produces microgametes is more specialized, appearing as a roughly 2-centimeter-long oblong bulge near the tip of the leaf.

While the reproduction of Stellafrutex is their most derived trait, they also have some slight differences in their leaves. The leaves of Stellafrutex are thinner and more numerous than their ancestors’. To make up for this, their leaves curl up at the edges and have thicker cell walls. This combination of traits makes them prone to getting a sharp bend once they reach a certain length or are disturbed, although it doesn't hurt the leaf that much since the veins are flexible enough to withstand it.

Most Stellafrutex species form large patches or fields wherever sufficient sunlight is available, often interspersed with multiple Stellafrutex species and other purpleflora.

This post has been edited by Cube67: Feb 18 2023, 11:16 AM

Updated terminology in the reproduction section. used to be "seed-like embyros"

Nice!

Can you elaborate on habitat? Glicker freshwater is included, does that mean there are emergent aquatic/wetland species? It makes sense for genus groups to be in a wider range of edaphic conditions than say, sunlight tolerances, but still worth mentioning.