Eared Plyent
| Eared Plyent | ||
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| (Foliatiauris sedens) | ||
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| Information | ||
| Creator | Disgustedorite Other | |
| Week/Generation | 27/167 | |
| Habitat | West Wallace Veldt, Wallace Savanna, Wallace Tropical Scrub, Wallace Desert, Wallace Dunes (rare), Raptor Plains, Raptor Veldt, Raptor Chaparral, Wallace Chaparral, Wallace Bush | |
| Size | 25 cm tall | |
| Primary Mobility | Unknown | |
| Support | Unknown | |
| Diet | Photosynthesis | |
| Respiration | Unknown | |
| Thermoregulation | Ectotherm | |
| Reproduction | Sexual (Male and Female, Air-Dispersed Spore-like Eggs and Sperm) | |
| Taxonomy | ||
| Domain Superkingdom Kingdom Subkingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species | Eukaryota Viridisagania Mancerxa Phytozoa (info) Phylloichthyia (info) Pododendronta Saltotruncia Chaetocalcaridae Foliatiauris Foliatiauris sedens | |
| Ancestor: | Descendants: |
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The eared plyent replaced its ancestor within its range. It has abandoned its faunal nature and become purely sessile and photosynthetic, spending its entire adult life in one place with its huge waxy leaves facing east to west. Its legs are now modified to anchor it in place. It can now close its reproductive opening, reducing water loss. To discourage predation, it tastes terrible and has a series of woody spicules hidden in its flesh that make predators think twice before biting it a second time.
The eared plyent releases its "spores" right before the wet season begins, so that they can spread far before they start growing. Like most plyents, the eared plyent reproduces using gamete particles which are sometimes called spores, but are in reality technically sperm—perhaps as expected—and very small eggs. The eggs have water and yolk prepared for developing embryos. However, sperm can only access the eggs when they are moist, as they are covered in mucus which dries into a shell to protect them from desiccation. This restriction means that the eared plyent can only grow where there's water, such as oases and during wet season rains, and they favor locations where water will pool and bring nutrients. Juveniles will right themselves after hatching, but are otherwise fully sessile afterwards, getting all the energy they need to get established from their yolk sac before switching to a sun-only diet. The speed at which they grow to maturity is dependent on their environment, but in optimal conditions it can take under one year, with most growth taking place when it rains.