Tongueishot

Adapted to the rainforest, where water is abundant and soil is fertile, lyrostira was able to grow even more and evolve to a new form. Due to competition for space, the tongueishot replaced the ancestor in some portions of the rainforest; however lyrostira still can be found growing there. They can reach the double size of its ancestor and became the dominant trees, easily reaching 10 m during the flowering periods. The plant has a wide stem which holds much water, growing some roots around the base, which penetrate on the soil and form a large sustentation base, keeping others large trees not so close to it; while the main roots grow very deep and keep it fixed. The chamber on the top is closed, like on its ancestor, but it will open when the spore rods are nearly mature, holding young dispersion structures. Each rod can reach up to 2 meters long; having its length practically filled with minuscule dispersion structures, each one having less than 0.5 cm wide. These are similar to lyrostira’s ones, but only will open during the flight. While maturing, long plumes will grow around the spores, allowing the transport of the structures by the wind and protecting the pre germinate spores into the structure. At same time, the rods will become more rigid and start to uncurl. When hard enough, they will uncurl quickly and work like a catapult, throwing the mature dispersion structures. With the shock, the structures will fly up and open, releasing the spores, which can travel very far. Some isolate specimens can be found growing on other areas of Glicker, from spores carried by winds crossing the plains; however they will grow only few meters, being an easy food source for other creatures. The massive number of dispersive structures produced is due to the low potential of germination of the spores, which require moist soil and part of them left the plant partially germinate. They will germinate initially into the structures, being the water provided by the dew and the pond created on the open chamber on the top. The pond is created by rainwater and part of the water will be drive to it by the rods. Part of the sap compounds produced on the top part will diffuse to the pond, giving to water a sweet taste and a pleasing scent. The water will flow down slowly, creating cascades when passing along the leaves, always keeping the soil around it very moist. The leaves are rounded and horizontally arranged to resist to the winds, growing intercalate in the stem. Organized in this way, the leaves create a kind of stair and some creatures can climb on the plant in order to batch on the pools created along the stem or on the top chamber. In suitable soil several spores can start to grow near. If many germinate in the same spot, they will compete for light and space and only the more resistant will survive and reach the mature size. They reach the full grown after a long time and start to reproduce in some years. After the flowering periods, the top structure collapses and the plant grows some more. Usually several of them will be found near. When isolate, strong winds can bend the plant and break the steam of the tallest tongueishots. The damaged plants will continue living for some time, but will be unable to reproduce. During some time the debris can still be used as burrows for small creatures.