Multipuff

Replacing its ancestor as the dominant flora, the multipuff has continued to grow larger in competition with others of its species, now reaching an average of eight meters tall. In order to provide support for its size, the multipuff has evolved a wood material to make up its trunk and branches (however, unlike traditional wood, it is composed mostly of living cells, apart from the outermost layer, allowing the trunks and branches to extend themselves over time as well as thickening). This wood serves a double purpose, as the native fauna are unable to digest it, and along with the wax that the multipuff secretes on and within its cap (more so then its ancestors), prevents it from being consumed. This is fortunate for the multipuff, as it can take six years to reach full size under good conditions. Due to exposure to the elements by the puff balls for spore dispersal, the multipuff now lacks a stalk and grows new puff balls as it ages, reaching up to four in total, which act the same as the ancestral version, spewing out spores when stimulated by wind. In order to better ensure the survival of the spores, the multipuff now sends them out with a small coating made of a handful of hardened dead cells that protect the spore until it can germinate. Thanks to its large size, the multipuff can support the extra nutrients to protect the spores this way, but since smaller ones often cannot, the multipuff only begins producing spores after it is at least three years old.