Hikerflora

Hikerflora are highly diverse flora that evolved on Vivus, but can be encountered on other landmasses as well. They are not conventionally multicellular. Instead, they are colonial organisms which share nutrients among themselves by fusion of the cell membranes in their "leaves" or "roots". The leaves are strands of photosynthetic tissue that can also be used to create another hikerflora. If the leaf does not come in contact with itself or another hikerflora of the same species, it will swell and produce another hikerflora. If it does, it will form a cord or a loop, the former if it comes into contact with another hikerflora, the latter if it comes in contact with itself.

While the leaves are specialized photosynthetic tissue, a hikerflora's whole body has the potential to photosynthesize. It uses xanthophyll and chlorophyll-b for photosynthesis and absorbs mainly blue light.

While hikerflora are capable of entering a very durable "spore" form, they cannot resume metabolic activity unless the temperature is between 22C(71.6 F)and 17C (64 F). This limits the range they can live in, usually to to tropical, sub-tropical, and desert environments. However, they can live in certain other habitats if it can find a suitable microclimate, such as a microclimate next to warm rotting matter in colder environments or in the shade in hotter ones. In environments where suitable temperatures only occur for a few months a year, hikerflora colonies "sprout" and grow quickly, and either die or convert to its spore form once temperatures change.

Showcase of certain species:

P. dalek: It can withstand a greater range of environmental stresses in its active form than other hikerflora. It is notable for its specialized, elongated leaves, which contain noxious chemicals that discourage herbivores. Upon release, the chemicals glow briefly. It has an interesting arrangement of cells, with the cells on the inside being paler and squishier than the ones on the outside. The outer surface of P. dalek has a metallic sheen.

P. saturn: A species with several layers of photosynthetic loops at their sides. Its cells are very large by hikerflora standards.

P. mound: Remarkable for its density of photosynthetic loops, which develop in orderly rows around its circumference.

P. myxo Superficially slime mould-like. They form in low, irregular, lumpy shapes, with leaves around the circumference. In high density they can make patches of nutrient-rich soil gooey.

P. bulbous Tall and lumpy, with huge cells. Their connections with others in the colony is fairly unstable, so cells can topple from the colony if merely brushed against. Their leaves are so small and densely spaced they appear to be orange-yellow fuzz.

P. derma Their organization is similar to human skin. Those on the top layer are dead, protect the lower layer, and eventually flake off. Unlike human skin, they do spend some time photosynthesizing before they die from hostile conditions. The cells in the upper layer originated from the lower layer and moved to the upper layer over time. The loops form deeper roots in the layers, and are not shed. While P. derma is depicted as a rectangular slice, in life they are three-dimensional.