Furry Bush Plort

Furry Bush Plort
Creator	OviraptorFan
Information
Status	Extant
Common Name(s)	Furry Bush Plort
Zones	5A
Roles	Producer
Classification
Genus	Plortatus
Species	Plortatus nanoderivantur
Evolution
Date	June 21st, 2020
Ancestor	Drifting Furry Plort
Descendants	Highland Bush Plort

5-6 feet tall

As the species Plortatus summapellicius exploded in numbers and colonized zone 5A rapidly, the lack of predators and plenty of resources allowed for plenty of mutations to develop and not be immediately culled. Some of these mutations resulted in a neotenic form that had shorter stems, resulting in them expending less energy to grow a stem and being able to devote it to more seed production instead. As the zone began to be fully colonized by the producers, the neotenic forms had to find ways to survive in the face of competition, giving rise to a new species.

Since their ancestors dominate the canopy, Plortatus nanoderivantur have to take advantage of any opportunity they can get, often living in clearings where light shines though. To get as much sunlight as possible in these more shadowy conditions, the several leaves at the top have become wider in proportion to their ancestors (being around 2 feet long and a foot wide) for a larger surface to absorb more light. Without any sort of natural predators to worry about, they have lost the majority of their trichomes of their ancestors especially on the seeds (although they retain it on the stem and leaves). While this does sacrifice their ability to be carried by the wind, the seeds can merely be dropped on the ground much like their distant ancestor Plortatus ostenpellicius and can do so throughout the year. Their shorter trunks compared to their ancestors they only take a single week to grow to full size rather than the ancestral two.