HOME | DD

Description

The brittle tree grows on the coastal shrublands of East Pandaros on Ilion . The tree grows rapidly to a height of 30 meters before splintering, rapidly again, under the strong easterly winds. Other trees in the area have no trouble staying upright, so what gives?

For the brittle tree, falling is just another phase in its life cycle. The tree produces flying seeds while growing, but unlike other pterosperm trees, no pollen pads or other receptacles can be found on the base of the trunk. These erupt only from the stump of a felled tree. Seeds travel long distances to these outgrowths to be fertilized before taking off again in search of a place to take root. To a biologist unfamiliar with the workings of Ilion’s life, this might look like an interaction between multiple species: a dying tree, a fungus, and an insectoid pollinator, perhaps.

Description

The brittle tree grows on the coastal shrublands of East Pandaros on Ilion . The tree grows rapidly to a height of 30 meters before splintering, rapidly again, under the strong easterly winds. Other trees in the area have no trouble staying upright, so what gives?

For the brittle tree, falling is just another phase in its life cycle. The tree produces flying seeds while growing, but unlike other pterosperm trees, no pollen pads or other receptacles can be found on the base of the trunk. These erupt only from the stump of a felled tree. Seeds travel long distances to these outgrowths to be fertilized before taking off again in search of a place to take root. To a biologist unfamiliar with the workings of Ilion’s life, this might look like an interaction between multiple species: a dying tree, a fungus, and an insectoid pollinator, perhaps.