Dendroshrooms: Difference between revisions
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|thermoregulation=Ectotherm
|reproduction=Sexual (Haploid Male and Diploid Female, Gamete-Bearing Achenes)
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|genus=Fungidendron
|species=spp
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Dendroshroom reproduction has been optimized with a functional change between sporophyte and gametophyte. The sporophyte can now be called the female, while the gametophyte is the male. The achenes of dendroshrooms now have a pore on them, which the sperm cells are released from in the males so that they may enter the pore of the female achene. The female achene contains just a single egg cell, as well as significant amounts of a fleshy substance for an embryo to feed off of before it gains access to detritus. If the egg is fertilized, it will grow into a female; if not, it grows into a male. Submersion such as from rain is required for fertilization, but not for germination.
Juvenile dendroshrooms are partially autotrophic, as algae supplied by their
Though dendroshrooms are quite tall, they also have very narrow, flexible stalks for their size. This means that when large fauna bump into them, they
There are many species of dendroshrooms. The largest species generally live in woodland biomes where there is plenty of detritus to feed on. However, lone, tall dendroshrooms can also be found growing in nutrient-rich patches in any biome, even in deserts next to oases. Medium-sized species averaging 5 meters tall are more common in shrublands and wetlands. Some can also tolerate saltwater and reside on tiny islands in the mangals, mostly feeding on various kinds of dead mangrove trees. Smaller species are found in increasingly dry or harsh conditions where large size is unsustainable, until one reaches the alpine and polar regions where the odd dendroshroom surviving in a nutrient-rich spot will not exceed one meter in height.
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Height is not the only variable characteristic in dendroshroom diversity, however. Another is the width of the cap, and yet another is the angle of the achene-bearing surface. These two characteristics are somewhat linked together, but there is some amount of variation. Narrow caps allow a dendroshroom a higher chance of growing unobstructed in woodland biomes, and reduces the weight at the top of especially tall species, thus also reducing the chance that the cap will snap off when it wobbles. In such species, the angle of the achene-bearing surface is sloped such that it would appear that achenes are growing on the stalk. This allows them to produce more achenes with a smaller cap. Especially short species also have a highly sloped achene-bearing surface regardless of cap width, allowing the achenes to be directly rubbed off onto the plumage or pelage of passing fauna. In some biomes where fauna might seek shelter regularly, whether from sun, snow, or storm, a wider cap frequently evolves to make an individual dendroshroom appealing to such creatures. This might also come hand in hand with a more concave achene-bearing surface, where some smaller fuzzy fauna like shrews and quails might pick up achenes by hiding inside the cap.
Finally, the color variation of dendroshrooms must be addressed. Dendroshrooms do not change color with their food source, unlike many other shrooms, as they gain no camouflage benefit and don't particularly need to camouflage
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