Sundialeaf

The sundialeaves evolved and split from their ancestor, the singing spade-leaf. With only four other floral species in the biome, the sundialeaves found a niche of their own to inhabit and established themselves over the course of a few thousand years. To protect themselves from larger organisms feeding on their leaves, they have developed an interesting strategy: their four leaves are now large and circular in shape, supported by cellulose along the edges and with most of the leaf made of empty air pockets to greatly reduce the weight of the leaves, allowing them to stick straight out without causing itself harm. A small, semi-hardened point has also formed on each leaf, facing outwards. These leafy spines are meant to poke a predator in the throat should it attempt to eat the leaves and cause it to cough the leaf back out. It is these two adaptations that give the sundialeaf its name, as they give the purple flora a design that superficially resembles a sundial. Being the ancestor of the singing spade-leaf means that like their ancestors, they will "sing" in the wind due to the hollows in the fruit, although once the fruit mature the leaves are still protected some when so many herbivores might be browsing them. Toves often can be found under their leaves, where they can hide out from potential predators and keep out of the sun during the hotter times of the day in the hotter seasons. The toves will also eat the sundialeaf's fruit, allowing the sundialeaves to spread easily. The temperate spade-leaf, another ancestor of the sundialeaf, is slowly being pushed out of the biome and is a bit less common to see, although it still is found all over the ecosystem.