Drooping Orbion

Named for the branch-like hooks which droop downwards from its trunk, the drooping orbion has replaced its ancestor and spread throughout the island. The evolution of the Drooping Orbion was very gradual, the result of a series of changes occurring over millions of years. The first major step was a mutation which led to the prongs becoming infertile and not falling off the trunk. This seems counter intuitive at first, since it meant the drooping orbion had to rely solely on spores for reproduction. However, immature prongs on its ancestors were used in photosynthesis, and keeping them permanently meant that the drooping orbion could obtain much more sunlight. The second phase was the development of a wider fifth hook, increasing the flora’s surface area even further. The final stage of the drooping orbion’s evolution was the result of predation by the gliding gushstrider. Gushstrider feeding would kill smaller specimens, so it began growing taller so it could tough out their puncture wounds. Once it started growing taller it found no competition for light, which is why the drooping orbion is so much taller than its ancestors.

The drooping orbion dwarves all other flora in the region. Because of this they don’t need to worry too much about competition, and reproduce slower than other flora in the area. They grow large spores off the tips of their prongs. These spores pop up randomly throughout the growing season rather than all at once, that way they don’t block as much sunlight from reaching the plant. If the spores can’t grow they can enter a dormant phase for several weeks before perishing. While in this dormant state they can survive things as varied as freezing over, volcanic eruptions and being swept up by the ocean. During the long polar winters the hooks curl up towards the center of the trunk. Drooping orbions at higher latitudes hibernate during the winter.