Dalmatian Spinetower

Dalmatian spinetowers are named after their pattern of black spines over light grey dead leaves, which bring to mind a Dalmatian's black spots over a white coat. Dalmatian spinetowers are even more heavily armored than their ancestors. Their thicker spines are almost impossible to break off, protecting it quite effectively from stiltstrider herbivory. Its tender stalk, as well as new leaf growth, is covered by a protective "skirt" of dead leaves. When the new leaves poke out, the dead leaves often detach, forming brittle but surprisingly sharp leaf litter. Dalmatian spinetowers grow slowly. While their maximum lifespans are shorter than their ancestor's, no matter the age it won't release spores until after the rains have come. Under the right circumstances, Dalmatian spinetowers can reproduce at only a year old, but, due to the scarcity of rains, they may have to wait longer. When the rains come, the Dalmatian spinetower will immediately produce a tulip-like spore chamber, draw nutrients from its nut-like tubers, and invest all its energy into reproduction. After emitting a steady plume of spores that can last for as much as nine hours, it dies. Even when dead, its spines can puncture the feet of fauna that tread on it. The Dalmatian spinetower does better than its ancestor in areas of higher herbivore density and cold, but not as well in drier, hotter areas. This is because its roots are too shallow to tap into aquifers and its "skirt" of dead leaves slows heat exchange with its environment, causing it to overheat in long periods of extreme heat. Dalmatian Spinetowers have thus replaced its ancestor in the Fermi Desert biome, but not in the Fermi High Desert biome. Dalmatian spinetowers with the good luck of germinating on a duramboar migration route grow faster, for while the duramboars eat their tubers, the duramboars also provide water. (Duramboars are "leaky" by desert fauna standards.)