Ferines

Ferrines are a kind of phoenoplastida flora (“purpleflora”) clade within the carnoferns clade. The clade consists of large, treelike shrubs to small trees, with a few bush-like members in the Ferries genus group, and generally produces edible fruit.

Anatomy
As typical for carnoferns, ferines’ trunks have a distinct crisscrossing bark pattern, and branches grow above the rim of bark on the trunk. In Ferines, there are typically three large branches from this point.

Ferines have characteristic narrow, needle-shaped purple leaves, although the specific leaf shape varies (e.g., the Ferries genus group has less needle-shaped leaves than typical). Ferines reproduce sexually using flowers which often grow on small stalks, away from the leaves. They require pollination to bear fruit and seeds, and the flowers are mainly pollinated by xenobees, which are lured in by nectar. Almost all Ferine species’ berries are appealing to frugivores.

While not truly carnivorous like basal carnoferns, three lineages have developed the evolutionary innovation of latexes or resins which trap and suffocate small fauna, like minikruggs. These secretions can have strong, often pleasant smells: Coniflor resin smells of frankincense, Cragymyr resin smells of myrrh, Syrup Ferine latex smells of maple syrup, and Wafflebark Ferine latex smells of vanilla. Sleeve Ferine latex, however, smells of blood.

Behavior
Generally, Ferines’ branches shed during unfavorable conditions, typically winter, and they regrow branches in better conditions. This is the original cause for their distinct bark texture and the rim of bark on the trunk, although some lineages which do not shed their branches, such as the Syrup Ferine and Coniflor, nonetheless have this pattern, indicating  multiple possible causes in this lineage for the bark pattern. Some species shed their leaves separately from the branches, or only shed their leaves, and others shed twigs bearing their flowers and fruits.

Diet & Energy
All Ferrines at time of writing rely purely on photosynthesis.

Locomotion
Like most flora, Ferrines are rooted in place and cannot move.

Reproduction
Ferine berries are fleshy and juicy, and can be sour, sweet, or bland. Throughout much of their history, their fruit has been spread by plents, but this has been a quirk of greater numbers of berry-eating plents in their environments, at least at time of evolution, and few actually specialize in plent propagators.

The Taiga Ferine reproduced with airborne pollen. While the Antler Ferine branch continued to rely on wind pollination, the Moonflower Ferine and Arid Ferine lineages rely on pollination, independently coming to rely on xenobees.

Senses
Cragmyrs’ trunks can twist and turn in response to gravity, angling towards sunlight.

Size
Taiga Ferine: 80 cm tall. Ferries (1-8 meters tall).