Lighthouse Waterpholyph
- Size: 0.85-3.5 meters (The deeper the water the taller the stem is to reach the surface). The stem only extends between 10-20 cm above the water.
- Reproduction: The seeds are located at the tip of the stem, where it forms a more round a voluminous shape. Once ready to detach from the mother plant, the seeds get knocked out by the wind and fall to the water, where they sink to the muddy bottom.
- Predators: T. remucauda, T. planocorpus and T. uncuscauda (vegetative matter and seeds once these fall to the water)
- Description:
Adaptations: Taxonomum praeberifari has developed longer stems, which reach out of the water. This adaptation appeared as a way for the seeds to be more difficult to reach for T. uncuscauda, which prevents them from getting eaten during their developing time on the stem’s tip. In order to support the taller stem, because they are no longer entirely supported by the water, the surface of it has become harder and stiffer due to the cells on it having thicker walls. This helps both to support the weight and make it even more difficult for T. uncuscauda to be able to use its hook to anchor itself. The taller stem emerging from the water isn’t only an adaptation to prevent predation of the seeds, but also an advantage when reproducing since the seeds produced now have a wider range of expansion, which helps expanding the population and also prevent the seeds from falling next to the mother T. praeberifari and having to compete for nutrients. The presence of T. planocorpus also helps T. praeberifari, since this species’ way of moving around moves and softens the mud, helping the seeds that fall in its trails to get buried.