Sporeflower

Due to the increasing size of puffstalks, the orange spore stalk was unable to spread its spores effectively, leading to its evolution into and replacement by the sporeflower. In order to spread its spores, the sporeflower remains open, its color mimicing dead flesh in order to attract darter, which quickly figure out they’ve been fooled and leave, carrying away spores stuck to their bodies. The spores can also be carried away by other animals that may eat the flower, or blown away by wind that makes it down to ground level.

The sporeflower, unlike its ancestor, does not have a significant stalk, as it was still blocked by larger flora anyway, the stalk now serving to allow the sporeflower’s tuber to be buried deeper. The tuber itself now grows a somewhat large seasonal root system that provides most of the sporeflower’s nutrients by breaking down organic matter in the soil. These roots start their growth in spring, reach a peak size in summer, then are self-digested during fall, allowing the tuber to weather through the winter. Likewise, above ground, spring shows a small sprout emerge from the underground tuber, which expands into a bud over summer, that then blooms in fall, nutrients not used to making spores retracted back into the tuber as well, leaving the flower itself to be consumed by fauna.