Parala Grovecrystal

The parala grovecrystal has a shorter growth period than its ancestor. However, it is not merely a miniature version of its ancestor, for some parts mature to a greater extent than others. Consequently, its crystal-leaves are proportionally bigger than its ancestor's.

Its habitat lacks fruit-eaters, so its spores are no longer spread in the waste of fruit-eating fauna. Instead, its "fruits" pop open, forming convenient nests for nightsnappers. This originated from a developmental timing problem that caused the fruits to stop developing earlier than usual. The crystal "fruits" had thinner chitin shells that were susceptible to desiccation. Once dried out, they split lengthwise, exposing fungal threads that ordinarily would grow into sweet fruit-flesh. The fungal threads had the consistency of straw and were better insulators compared bare cliff-side nests. Those parala grovecrystal predecessors with this developmental problem spread their spores through nesting nightsnappers, outcompeting those without the problem. Eventually, the fungal threads' shape changed and became slightly more like plant stamens, increasing its chances of dusting the parent nightsnapper with spores.

The spores stick to the parents' body fuzz. As the nightsnappers fly, air resistance pushes the spores off the nightsnapper's body. If the spores land in suitable soil and soon after landing absorb water, they will germinate.