Alloplortatus desertus

Alloplortatus desertus
Creator	Tboneboss9
Information
Status	Extant
Zones	I
Roles	Producer
Classification
Genus	Alloplortatus
Species	Alloplortatus desertus
Evolution
Date	December 30th, 2018
Ancestor	Alloplortatus marcops
Descendants	Alloplortatus apatofrutex Alloplortatus thadalibratus

Alloplortatus marcops were pushed into Zone I from spatial competition in Zone H. As the populations moved further from wetlands they adapted to the much drier and hotter climate of Zone I causing Alloplortatus desertus to arise.

The shallow roots aided in obtaining water from rainfall because they spread out wide near the soil surface. Roots beneath the trunk began growing deeper into the soil to tap into the water table and supply more water to the polyph. The polyph grows its trunk and leaves slowly as it focuses more resources toward root growth. The trunk is no longer hypertrophic and is thinner than the ancestor.

The leaves of A. desertus long and thin, reaching 15cm longer. The leaves are thinner to reduce surface area to prevent water loss. Beneath the leaves several hollow chambers have developed to store excess water that act as a reserve when there is little rainfall. The chambers are also the location of reproductive vine growth. If many of the chambers are filled with water vines will grow from them. The vines are woody and inflexible to prevent water loss. The vines will produce a cluster of small flowers at the tip in August. After pollination the flowers will develop seeds that remain attached until the following rainy season when the tissue connecting the seeds to the vine will fill with water and the seed will be launch by the pressure.

In the first year of growth the polyph will typically only reach 15cm in height and will grow 20cm each following year with the oldest individuals reaching 6m. The polyph grows much slower because of the low nutrient content in the soil, low rainfall, and the amount of resources it puts into its roots.