Ashblades

Over a geological timespan consisting of millions upon millions of years, the island continent of Fermi slowly drifted away from the cooler climes of the southern pole and steadily found itself within the temperate waters further north. As it did so, its shores gradually expanded, and the influx of both warmer weather and much needed rain caused a dramatic shift in the ecosystems of Fermi. Once dominated solely by vast deserts and tundras, the (relatively) young landmass now found itself awash with rolling plains, dense forests, and many other diverse ecosystems. While the deserts and tundras of old still exist, it was not long before their inhabitants began to spread out and find new niches to exploit and potentially dominate. The ashblades are one such example of this.

Having split from their ancestors, this flora has slowly but steadily begun to take hold throughout the now much warmer interior of Fermi. Undergoing a milder case of island gigantism, this flora bears leaves that can tower up to nearly 3 meters in height, though many of them will only ever reach half this height or less, with the determining factor depending on the level of grazing they might experience in a given area. Members growing on the cooler steppes tend to be smaller than those growing in warmer regions, though all are fairly long lived, with some well-established individuals living for nearly 50 years.

With much competition to deal with, the ashblades play the long game when it comes to growth. Primarily relying on its now entirely buried bulb to store precious sugars and nutrients, this flora tends to grow slowly over its first several years of life, with leaves barely reaching even a foot in length as fermiblades and poorbions tower over them. The bulb continues to grow at a rapid pace compared to the leaves at this time, sending out roots that dig deep in search of water and nutrients, all in preparation for the right moment to strike. This moment is when grazers consume the surrounding vegetation. With the competition momentarily put on a even level with the ashblades (at least when it comes to grass-like flora such as the fermiblades), this flora can take the opportunity, if its bulb is sufficiently large enough, to start focusing on growing new, larger leaves to replace those that have been eaten in only a matter of days.

This growth cycle allows the ashblades to find their niche within the grasslands of Fermi, though for the most part they are rather sporadically found throughout wherever they are established. But this is not always so. Should a brush fire burn through a region, the underground bulb of this flora is fairly well protected, allowing them to grow back quickly. The open, nutrient-rich terrain also allows new spores to establish themselves quicker, and can lead to huge swaths of ashblades dominating the landscape, though such bounty is often exploited by local herbivores until the status quo of flora is reestablished.

Much like its ancestor, reproduction involves producing a tall stalk that can more than double the height of this species, if only for a few weeks. Typically growing following the first few rains of the warmer parts of the year, this stalk will sporadically release spores that, thanks to its height, are readily spread by the winds over great distances. While the vast majority of spores will never make it, whether they be consumed or otherwise fail to find a viable spot to grow, at least some will take root, thus allowing the species to continue for another generation. Once its task is done, the stalk shrivels away and is reabsorbed into the flora, assuming of course that it has not been eaten or otherwise broken off.