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Description
The Ferraphyta (iron plants) are the dominant land flora on Cerberus - but they aren't plants! They're actually a group of tube worms in the phylum Intestinopsa, part of the "animal" life of Cerberus. Some of these tube worms may reach tonnes in weight, occupying a niche similar to trees, while others are small and live in the soil as ground cover. Colonial species may be branched or connect to one another through an extensive root system. The plumes of iron plants are retractable, and can quickly retract into the tube for protection against grazers or stellar radiation. They are sensitive to shadows and vibrations. If you were to walk through a meadow on Cerberus, you would leave a trail of bare earth, with all the iron plants hiding inside their tubes! Only when conditions are safe will they emerge once more. Some iron plants have even evolved opercula to close the mouth of their tube.

1. The tube (or trunk) is comprised of iron oxide, Fe₂O₃, along with chitin and collagen-like materials. This tube provides structure to the organism, protection from grazers, and reflects harmful stellar radiation such as from a stellar flare. In fact, this is the reason tubes evolved in the first place, as excretory pores developed the ability to secrete iron oxide which protected the organisms against flares. Iron plant tubes are highly variable in structure. They may consist of a single, uninterrupted cylinder or be jointed to allow the iron plant to bend in the wind. They may also be highly colourful in aposematic species, however most tubes are orange-brown to cream in colouration.

2. A layer of spongy, fibrous support material lies between the tube and the living body of the iron plant. This material is often poisonous to further deter parasites, boring organisms, and grazers hardy enough to crack through the tough tube. This material is also lightweight, helping to support the organism while permitting taller growth in Cerberus' strong gravity. In xerophytic species, this material acts as a water store.

3. A layer of polysaccharides and lipids stored outside the body wall is present. This layer serves as the organism's food reserve, allowing the iron plant to feed its cultivated symbiotic algae during the long nights, survive droughts, or to repair damage caused by a stellar flare. This layer also serves to insulate iron plant species within the Cerberus' cold higher latitudes. Lipids and sugars are only secreted during periods of benign external conditions.

4. The body wall, or ectoderm. This can be thought of as the organism's "skin". The body of the iron plant is elastic, allowing the organism to retract or extend into or out of its tube. The body is not directly attached to the outside layers such as the lipid storage layer.

5. Root plates are additional exoskeletal structures present on the roots of the iron plant. These are jointed and polygonal in structure, becoming smaller towards the tips of the roots. These serve to further protect the roots against grazers or parasites.

6. In some species, special cavities are present into which the plumes may retract. In others, the whole worm will contract downwards, pulling the plumes into the tube.

7. The rain gut; a unique organ to the subclass Ferraphyta. This organ evolved as an in-folding of the body wall, and is not a true gut. It is used to collect extra water from rain, as well as a structure to store gametes.

8. Accessory hearts. These pump body fluids down the trunk. These organs are positioned radially, and there may be between two and thirty two in total.

9. The primary heart of the iron plant is at the base of the roots. This heart pumps body fluids upwards, counteracting the accessory hearts and providing circulation. The circulatory system of iron plants is either closed or open in different taxa. Iron plants use respiratory pigments in order to increase their oxygen uptake ability. These pigments are green, and similar to chlorocruorin.

10. The roots. These resemble the roots of land plants on Earth. They are constantly shed and regrown in order to remove pathogens or parasites. The roots of the iron plants obtain nutrients required by the plant's symbiotic algae. These are then directed through the circulatory system to the plumes. The roots also obtain water. They evolved as extensions of the body wall.

11. Root hairs, like Earth's plants, are used to maximise surface area of nutrient and water uptake. They are covered in microvilli to further this process.

12. Metanephridia - i.e. simple kidneys. These organs process metabolic waste and remove toxins from the body fluid. One is present for every plume.

13. Excretory pores periodically remove waste as dilute urine. In xerophytic species, this is instead removed as pellets.

14. The plume bar is stiffened in order to hold up the large plumes of the iron plant. However, the tissue within the bar is mutable, and can become more flexible when triggered by the iron plant's nervous system, allowing the plumes to retract.

15. Plume filaments are extensions of the plume bar. These overlap, providing a large surface area in which light can strike. The plume filaments contain the iron plant's symbiotic red algae, which photosynthesise and share sugars with the iron plant. In return they are provided with safety from grazers, constant light levels, and nutrients. This strategy makes both iron plants and their symbiotic red algae mixotrophic. The plume filaments often have a feathery appearance.

16. The gonads of iron plants are variable, and may be internalised or present on large stalks. These stalks are fast-growing and short lived, and are colloquially termed "flowers". Sperm are always released aerially in terrestrial iron plants, while female flowers collect sperm to fertilise eggs. These develop into spores which are once more released into the air to (hopefully) land somewhere with suitable conditions, germinate, and become the next generation of iron plants!

*****

As someone stuck indoors during the pandemic of covid-19, I haven't currently got the ability to use a scanner, and so this is a lower-quality image than I'd like to upload. I may update it in the future to a better diagram, but for now this will do (also, I am still very new to digital art). I will hopefully upload some more interesting images of the iron plants soon! :¬)

Description
The Ferraphyta (iron plants) are the dominant land flora on Cerberus - but they aren't plants! They're actually a group of tube worms in the phylum Intestinopsa, part of the "animal" life of Cerberus. Some of these tube worms may reach tonnes in weight, occupying a niche similar to trees, while others are small and live in the soil as ground cover. Colonial species may be branched or connect to one another through an extensive root system. The plumes of iron plants are retractable, and can quickly retract into the tube for protection against grazers or stellar radiation. They are sensitive to shadows and vibrations. If you were to walk through a meadow on Cerberus, you would leave a trail of bare earth, with all the iron plants hiding inside their tubes! Only when conditions are safe will they emerge once more. Some iron plants have even evolved opercula to close the mouth of their tube.

1. The tube (or trunk) is comprised of iron oxide, Fe₂O₃, along with chitin and collagen-like materials. This tube provides structure to the organism, protection from grazers, and reflects harmful stellar radiation such as from a stellar flare. In fact, this is the reason tubes evolved in the first place, as excretory pores developed the ability to secrete iron oxide which protected the organisms against flares. Iron plant tubes are highly variable in structure. They may consist of a single, uninterrupted cylinder or be jointed to allow the iron plant to bend in the wind. They may also be highly colourful in aposematic species, however most tubes are orange-brown to cream in colouration.

2. A layer of spongy, fibrous support material lies between the tube and the living body of the iron plant. This material is often poisonous to further deter parasites, boring organisms, and grazers hardy enough to crack through the tough tube. This material is also lightweight, helping to support the organism while permitting taller growth in Cerberus' strong gravity. In xerophytic species, this material acts as a water store.

3. A layer of polysaccharides and lipids stored outside the body wall is present. This layer serves as the organism's food reserve, allowing the iron plant to feed its cultivated symbiotic algae during the long nights, survive droughts, or to repair damage caused by a stellar flare. This layer also serves to insulate iron plant species within the Cerberus' cold higher latitudes. Lipids and sugars are only secreted during periods of benign external conditions.

4. The body wall, or ectoderm. This can be thought of as the organism's "skin". The body of the iron plant is elastic, allowing the organism to retract or extend into or out of its tube. The body is not directly attached to the outside layers such as the lipid storage layer.

5. Root plates are additional exoskeletal structures present on the roots of the iron plant. These are jointed and polygonal in structure, becoming smaller towards the tips of the roots. These serve to further protect the roots against grazers or parasites.

6. In some species, special cavities are present into which the plumes may retract. In others, the whole worm will contract downwards, pulling the plumes into the tube.

7. The rain gut; a unique organ to the subclass Ferraphyta. This organ evolved as an in-folding of the body wall, and is not a true gut. It is used to collect extra water from rain, as well as a structure to store gametes.

8. Accessory hearts. These pump body fluids down the trunk. These organs are positioned radially, and there may be between two and thirty two in total.

9. The primary heart of the iron plant is at the base of the roots. This heart pumps body fluids upwards, counteracting the accessory hearts and providing circulation. The circulatory system of iron plants is either closed or open in different taxa. Iron plants use respiratory pigments in order to increase their oxygen uptake ability. These pigments are green, and similar to chlorocruorin.

10. The roots. These resemble the roots of land plants on Earth. They are constantly shed and regrown in order to remove pathogens or parasites. The roots of the iron plants obtain nutrients required by the plant's symbiotic algae. These are then directed through the circulatory system to the plumes. The roots also obtain water. They evolved as extensions of the body wall.

11. Root hairs, like Earth's plants, are used to maximise surface area of nutrient and water uptake. They are covered in microvilli to further this process.

12. Metanephridia - i.e. simple kidneys. These organs process metabolic waste and remove toxins from the body fluid. One is present for every plume.

13. Excretory pores periodically remove waste as dilute urine. In xerophytic species, this is instead removed as pellets.

14. The plume bar is stiffened in order to hold up the large plumes of the iron plant. However, the tissue within the bar is mutable, and can become more flexible when triggered by the iron plant's nervous system, allowing the plumes to retract.

15. Plume filaments are extensions of the plume bar. These overlap, providing a large surface area in which light can strike. The plume filaments contain the iron plant's symbiotic red algae, which photosynthesise and share sugars with the iron plant. In return they are provided with safety from grazers, constant light levels, and nutrients. This strategy makes both iron plants and their symbiotic red algae mixotrophic. The plume filaments often have a feathery appearance.

16. The gonads of iron plants are variable, and may be internalised or present on large stalks. These stalks are fast-growing and short lived, and are colloquially termed "flowers". Sperm are always released aerially in terrestrial iron plants, while female flowers collect sperm to fertilise eggs. These develop into spores which are once more released into the air to (hopefully) land somewhere with suitable conditions, germinate, and become the next generation of iron plants!

*****

As someone stuck indoors during the pandemic of covid-19, I haven't currently got the ability to use a scanner, and so this is a lower-quality image than I'd like to upload. I may update it in the future to a better diagram, but for now this will do (also, I am still very new to digital art). I will hopefully upload some more interesting images of the iron plants soon! :¬)