Arboreal Cloudgrass

From Sagan 4 Alpha Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Arboreal Cloudgrass
(Nimbaphyta tillandsiamimus)
Artwork of Arboreal Cloudgrass
Species is extant.
Creator Hydromancerx Other
Taxonomy
Domain
Kingdom
Subkingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Eukaryota
Phoenoplastida
Phoenophyta
Spherophyta
Euspherophyta
Nephelospherales
Nimbaphytaceae
Nimbaphyta
Nimbaphyta tillandsiamimus
Week/Generation 27/166
Habitat Spores: Sagan 4 Troposphere; Adults: Darwin Tropical Rainforest, Wallace Tropical Rainforest, Raptor Tropical Rainforest, Darwin Subtropical Rainforest, Dixon Subtropical Rainforest, Barlowe Tropical Rainforest, Barlowe Subtropical Rainforest, Time Subtropical Rainforest Archipelago
Size 40 cm Tall
Primary Mobility Sessile
Support Unknown
Diet Photosynthesis, Aeroplanktivore (<2 cm)
Respiration Passive (Stomata)
Thermoregulation Ectotherm
Reproduction Sexual (Airborne Spores), Asexual (Macroscopic Binary Fission)
Descendant of Ancestor of

Arboreal Cloudgrass split from its ancestor Cloudgrass. It has come down from the atmosphere and lives in the treetops. Like Earth's Tillandsia (air plants) they live life in branches of other larger flora. Compared to life in the atmosphere it was much more hospitable despite not needing soil to grow.

The thin leaves collect sunlight and help reduce water loss. The main stem-ball is spongy and hollow. Its roots both help it collect water from the air and anchors it to the branches it sits on. It is a tangled mess that wraps around anything it can reach. On the outside of the stem-ball are its sticky tendrils that are used to feed on any aeroplankton.

No longer needing to float in the air it can store much more water than its ancestor could. This helps even in the dry season when rain isn't so abundant. Its vascular system has improved and helps move water and nutrients where they need to go.

Like its ancestor it can reproduce via airborne spores or macroscopic binary fission. The airborne spores are their main method since they can spread them high in the atmosphere. They only use asexual binary fission when there are no other arboreal cloudgrass nearby. If they sense spores of others then they will continue to release spores.