Palmarrow
Taxonomy
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Ancestors and Descendants
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Creator: Bufforpington
Habitat: East Gemstar Temperate Beach, Gemstar Temperate Rainforest
Size: 10 cm Tall (Larva), 240 cm Tall (Adult)
Diet: Weak Photosynthesis, Scavenger, 'Filter-Feeder', Cannibal (Gametophyte) Photosynthesis, Detritivore (Sporophyte)
Reproduction: Sexual, Egg grows on female's corpse (Gametophyte) Asexual, Egg-Fruit (Sporophyte)
As the azuarrow was pressured further on the temperate beaches of West Gemstar, Some were forced further inland. This ultimately resulted in the palmarrow. It now comes in two forms: Sporophyte and Gametophyte. The gametophyte reproduces sexually, and is a heavily modified, neotenic form of the azuarrow's larva. They have adapted to the inner reaches of the beach, capitalizing off of azlids, azuarrows, and hexaraks that strayed too far inland and suffocated. Their skin is now tough and leathery. Their tertiary tentacles are now water storage sacs like that of the adult- which contain gills. They must take trips to bodies of water to refill the sacs though. The chitin struts in their legs have 'ossified', like that of the hexarak, allowing them to walk upright. However, they take this to the next level- as their body contains a series of struts that helps give it structure. However, this is largely unexpressed in the gametophyte, as their short bodies don't need much structural support. Their long 'tongues' are used to pass on gametes and collect water. It can also be used to tear apart rotten corpses and scrape up mats of prokaryotes. Because of their aggressive grazing, only the fastest growing microbial mats can survive, and the rainforest is not much of a slimeland anymore. Gametophytes live short lives, and their only goal is to find a mate. Females will release pheromones to attract males. Like the hexarak, gametophytes can detect smells through their proto-roots. Because they only work when moist, they must return to water regularly to moisten their proto-roots. In the rainforest, finding mates is of the highest priority, as there is virtually no food in the rainforest- apart from mats of prokaryotes and the occasional fallen sporophyte or dead gametophyte. Many will resort to cannibalism- eating other sporophytes of the same gender. This is most prominent in males, as it removes competition for females. Because of the nearly constant downpour, gametophytes are able to smell unhindered in the depths of the rainforest, and can survive by collecting water from puddles. Shortly after mating, the female will die, and the sporophyte will begin to grow on the female's corpse- providing nutrients for the growing sporophyte.
The sporophyte is the more plant-like form. Its struts are far more extensive and allow it to grow to great heights- 2.4 meters to be exact. Their digestive systems have degraded significantly, as they cannot reach prey like the azuarrow. Instead, they primarily rely on their photosynthesis, which is now fully integrated- preventing the need to find mats of blue photosynthetic prokaryotes- and nutrient/ detritus uptake through their roots. Unlike the gametophyte, the sporophyte possesses an extensive network of struts that helps hold the trunk of the sporophyte up. They form a relatively dense forest in Gemstar Temperate Rainforest, providing some shade that decreases the rate of evaporation in puddles to a certain extent. This gives their gametophytes a better chance at surviving. Because they are high above the ground and simply cannot hibernate by stuffing its tentacles in its mouth, its leathery skin is much thicker, and below that is a layer of fat that helps keep the organism warm. It also will place its tentacles into its mouth as means of protecting its delicate fronds from freezing. During this time, it will slow down its metabolism so it doesn't starve to death during the winter. Meanwhile, their roots help provide some sustenance for the organism while it hibernates. When winter ends and the snow gives way to rain, it will begin to produce asexual egg-fruits beneath the base of the leaves and around the mouth. When these mature, they will fall off and hatch into gametophytes. It will continue doing this until fall- given that there are enough resources to do so. Because many are lost to starvation, the sporophyte will produce countless fruits to make up for the loss. This also helps those growing on the beach compensate for predators- like the hexarak. This allows the gametophytes the best chance at surviving- especially in the rainforest.