Ashblades: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Content added Content deleted
Colddigger (talk | contribs) (made) |
Colddigger (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
Having split from their ancestors, this flora has slowly but steadily begun to take hold throughout the now much warmer interior of Fermi. Undergoing a milder case of island gigantism, this flora bears leaves that can tower up to nearly 3 meters in height, though many of them will only ever reach half this height or less, with the determining factor depending on the level of grazing they might experience in a given area. Members growing on the cooler steppes tend to be smaller than those growing in warmer regions, though all are fairly long lived, with some well-established individuals living for nearly 50 years. |
Having split from their ancestors, this flora has slowly but steadily begun to take hold throughout the now much warmer interior of Fermi. Undergoing a milder case of island gigantism, this flora bears leaves that can tower up to nearly 3 meters in height, though many of them will only ever reach half this height or less, with the determining factor depending on the level of grazing they might experience in a given area. Members growing on the cooler steppes tend to be smaller than those growing in warmer regions, though all are fairly long lived, with some well-established individuals living for nearly 50 years. |
||
With much competition to deal with, the ashblades play the long game when it comes to growth. Primarily relying on its now entirely buried bulb to store precious sugars and nutrients, this flora tends to grow slowly over its first several years of life, with leaves barely reaching even a foot in length as [[Fermiblades|fermiblades]] and [[ |
With much competition to deal with, the ashblades play the long game when it comes to growth. Primarily relying on its now entirely buried bulb to store precious sugars and nutrients, this flora tends to grow slowly over its first several years of life, with leaves barely reaching even a foot in length as [[Fermiblades|fermiblades]] and [[Poorbion|poorbions]] tower over them. The bulb continues to grow at a rapid pace compared to the leaves at this time, sending out roots that dig deep in search of water and nutrients, all in preparation for the right moment to strike. This moment is when grazers consume the surrounding vegetation. With the competition momentarily put on a even level with the ashblades (at least when it comes to grass-like flora such as the fermiblades), this flora can take the opportunity, if its bulb is sufficiently large enough, to start focusing on growing new, larger leaves to replace those that have been eaten in only a matter of days. |
||
This growth cycle allows the ashblades to find their niche within the grasslands of Fermi, though for the most part they are rather sporadically found throughout wherever they are established. But this is not always so. Should a brush fire burn through a region, the underground bulb of this flora is fairly well protected, allowing them to grow back quickly. The open, nutrient-rich terrain also allows new spores to establish themselves quicker, and can lead to huge swaths of ashblades dominating the landscape, though such bounty is often exploited by local herbivores until the status quo of flora is reestablished. |
This growth cycle allows the ashblades to find their niche within the grasslands of Fermi, though for the most part they are rather sporadically found throughout wherever they are established. But this is not always so. Should a brush fire burn through a region, the underground bulb of this flora is fairly well protected, allowing them to grow back quickly. The open, nutrient-rich terrain also allows new spores to establish themselves quicker, and can lead to huge swaths of ashblades dominating the landscape, though such bounty is often exploited by local herbivores until the status quo of flora is reestablished. |
||