Poorbion

Although the inland areas of Fermi were being colonized by various kinds of flora, most of them were relatively small, which in turn meant any flora that grew larger than them would be able to avoid competing for light with them and thus thrive. This took the form of some Polar Orbions colonizing these areas and developing adaptations to live there, eventually splitting off and becoming the Poorbion. The largest difference seen in this species from their direct ancestor and distant cousins is their tissues being brown in coloration. This is due to the presence of the accessory pigment known as xucoxanthin, a pigment also found within terran brown algae such as kelps. By having this on top of their anthocyanin pigments, the Poorbions are especially good at getting energy from light primarily in the blue-green to yellow-green part of the visible spectrum, allowing it to avoid competition with other flora found inland such as the Fermiblades.

The Poorbions do share some traits with their ancestor, such as their large spherical trunk that helps store energy. These extra energy stores can help the Poorbions get by during times of environmental stress, such as during the colder winter months that are commonplace on the continent. The antifreeze proteins from their ancestors still assist the Poorbions with preventing ice crystals from forming within their cells, which could prove fatal.

Unlike its ancestors, the Poorbion no longer sheds their prongs which would then grow into identical clones, instead the species fully specializes towards sexual reproduction. When the prongs are fully mature, they remain attached and release gametes in the air which will then be carried by strong winds until they meet the gametes of other Poorbions and get fused together. The resulting spores will eventually land on the ground and germinate, becoming a new individual. The elongated stalk present within the Poorbion, as well as the greater height that initially evolved from a lack of competition, boosts their chances of reproductive success since it makes it far more likely for the gametes to be carried by winds for a greater distance.