Body-Joining Cocktree

Body-Joining Cocktree
Creator	D̜͙̟͉ìn̨̹o̬̗C̼̮̣͡óaͅt͜
Information
Status	Extant
Common Name(s)	Body-Joining Cocktree
Zones	L
Roles	Producer
Classification
Genus	Microcaulifolium
Species	Microcaulifolium polycorpens
Evolution
Date	May 20th, 2020
Ancestor	Microcaulifolium gracilistemus
Descendants	No results

The Body-Joining Cocktree (Microcaulifolium polycorpens) is descended from Cocktree, Microcaulifolium gracilistemus. While it has a similar shape to its ancestor individually its body plan has changed

Body-Joining Cocktrees are able to inosculate by joining their stems together in their first two months (2 mos) of growth. When the stem of a Body-Joining Cocktree grows in contact with the stem of a sibling they both remetabolize their outermost layer of cells and rapidly grow their water transportation systems to connect. Their water transports fuse to share nutrients. The stems grow away from each other to capture sunlight and spread seeds in all directions. This helps the most viable seeds and in the densely-packed splooge to cooperate with each other rather than compete. They will usually stop the inosculation process in two months (2 mos) after first growth to prevent fusion with other cocktree clusters which do not help their genetic success. Siblings typically inosculate although unrelated individuals may still do so in cases where the splooges of more than one cocktree meet up. The Body-Joining Cocktrees detect their siblings by using their roots to emit protein signals.

Body-Joining Cocktrees can grow up to three meters (3 m, 300 cm) in height as multiple individuals provide more support. They reach their full size after eighteen months (18 mos) of growth which is slowed down in the winter. They begin producing seeds and splooge after nine months (9 mos). Seed production is shut down in the winter and starts again in the spring to save energy. The first seeds are released on the spring of the third year and seeds are produced each year until the cocktree dies. Twelve thousand (12,000) seeds can be produced and stored each year in the sixty centimeter (60 cm) deep stem chambers. Seeds are the same size as those of the ancestor.