Sicklysweet Piloroot: Difference between revisions
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{{Species
|name = Sicklysweet Piloroot
|week = 27
|generation = 167
|creator = OviraptorFan
|image = Sicklysweet Piloroot.png
|ancestor = Beach Piloroot
|habitat = [[Fermi Plains]], [[Fermi Steppe]], [[Fermi Subpolar Volcanic]], [[Fermi Prairie]], [[Fermi Bush]], [[Fermi Temperate Volcanic]]
|size = 2 meters wide, 60 centimeters tall
|locomotion = Sessile
|diet = Photosynthesis, Detritivore; young only: Facultative Parasite ([[Fermiblades]])
|thermoregulation = Ectotherm
|reproduction=Sexual (Fruit with Seeds), Asexual (Detaching Roots)▼
|respiration = Passive (Stomata)
|parent = Pilosotuberaceae▼
▲|reproduction = Sexual (Fruit with Seeds), Asexual (Detaching Roots)
|genus=Lanatosiphon▼
▲|parent = Pilosotuberaceae
|species=bacchanalis▼
▲|genus = Lanatosiphon
|meaning=wooly siphon of Bacchus▼
▲|species = bacchanalis
▲|meaning = wooly siphon of Bacchus
}}
When some [[Beach Piloroot]]s started to grow inland, they found themselves in a highly competitive floral ecology, with [[Fermiblades]] being the dominant low-growing purple flora in the region. Being slower to grow, the Beach Piloroots found themselves overshadowed early on in their lives by these Valadanaceans, only getting by due to being able to subsist on bits of detritus like dead skin shed from fauna as well as getting energy from photosynthesis. In time, these populations of Beach Piloroot would develop adaptations to get past the competiton, eventually establishing themselves a firm roothold in the ecosystem while splitting off into a distinct species of their own right.
Known as the '''Sicklysweet Piloroot''', the most immediate difference seen in the species is their sheer size, having become double the size of their ancestors. This gives them a larger surface area for both photosynthesis and for obtaining detritus. Additionally, the Sicklysweet Piloroot has developed a second whorl of leaves that grows on top of the first whorl, giving them even more surface area for obtaining food. The leaves are still covered in a thick photosynthetic
While fauna can help Sicklysweet Piloroots unintentionally by providing them detritus, they can also intentionally be a threat or disperser to said flora by trying to eat certain parts of it, which has led to a few notable developments. To deter species like the Durameloth from indiscriminately eating the whole thing, the Sicklysweet Piloroot developed a similar solution to the unrelated Skunk's Pheres, tasting awful. Like the Skunk's Pheres, Sicklysweet Piloroots take in sulfur from the volcanic soil they grow in through their roots, which tints their fuzzy leaves with hints of yellow. The high amounts of sulfur in their tissues makes the Sicklysweet Piloroot a relatively unappetizing meal for most herbivores, though certain species of Minikruggs that initially specialized in eating Skunk's Pheres and ignore the sulfur taste readily feed on the Sicklysweet Piloroots anyway.
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While the fruits are good for dispersal, they have to be fertilized in the first place, which has not really changed that much for any species of piloroot. This process is done by Sicklysweet Piloroots releasing spores into the air, which can be carried quite a distance until they land in the center of another Sicklysweet Piloroot and fertilize it. After that, the individual will grow their seed-bearing fruit that are hopefully eaten by local herbivores for dispersal.
Unlike related species like the Pilonoroot who have completely lost their roots, the ancestral stringy root system has become thicker and more bulbous to better anchor the Sicklysweet Piloroot into the ground, somewhat resembling the roots of the long extinct Piloroot. These roots also take in nutrients from the soil, aiding the leaves with gathering nutrients to sustain the whole organism. The roots also serve another purpose early on in life, as Sicklysweet Piloroots will steal nutrients and energy from nearby Fermiblades as they grow. While this does help boost the growth of the flora and help it reach maturity faster, this adaptation is actually to eliminate the competition for sunlight. This in turn results in a Sicklysweet Piloroot usually being found in a small clearing with little to no Fermiblades growing around it, giving the individual full access to sunlight. While this strategy does serve the Sicklysweet Piloroot well, they
While the Sicklysweet
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