Suckling Plort
As zone 5A got thoroughly colonized by Miniplortatus summapellicius, interspecific competition really got into full swing, what was once a paradise had now become a battlefield for supremacy. While the ancestors of Miniplortatus nanoderivantur became specialized for being polyphs of the understory, other descendants of M. summapellicius went in the opposite direction to avoid direct competition with their kin.
9-12 feet tall
Originated in zone 5A
Miniplortatus abductioradix are quite derived for their lineage, although this may not be obvious at first when you observe them in the wild. The fully mature forms look very similar to their ancestors, with just a longer trunk to give them extra height in order to gain full access to light. Instead, it’s how they develop where the most changes have occurred. When the seeds land in the soil and sprout, they do not develop their leaves at all. Since they do not get sunlight, they must find other ways to get nutrients, such as stealing the nutrients from their neighbors for their own benefit.
The M. abductioradix sapling's roots will grow out until they come in contact with the roots of a different polyph; after they do, they release enzymes to beak down their own cell walls and the cell walls of the host polyph, causing them to fuse together. From there, the roots passively absorb the nutrients for themselves in order to grow their stem as quickly as possible. As saplings, they rely primarily on osmosis to draw in water and nutrients through the roots. As adults, they leave their stomata open for extended periods of time, creating a moisture gradient. Despite being several feet taller than their ancestor, they still only take two weeks to grow due to the easy access to nutrients. Even when the adults are fully mature, however, they still get part of their nutrients from parasitism although not as heavily as when they were young saplings. They still have their seeds covered in the long trichomes (along with the rest of the polyph), allowing them to be carried by the wind for extra long distances due to their height. Once the seeds land in the soil, the cycle of parasitism that makes the polyph’s life repeats itself.
