Palmcap

While most tombstone asterplents settled on corpses, a select group of them were able to get by on other sources of nutrition. What resulted was a somewhat radical departure from their old feeding habits, with them instead taking on a parasitic niche.

Juvenile palmcaps are born with hair-like pappi to slow their descent. However, just like in the pitfall asterplent that came before, these structures fall off soon after birth. Larval palmcaps mainly feed on Caonach, though they can feed on almost any organic waste or dead material, similarly to a terran fly. One of the key features of the palmcap is its ability to secrete strong digestive enzymes. This feature was originally developed as a way to get extra nutrients from carcasses, but allowed the palmcaps access to other sources of nutrition. The roots are protected from this process mainly by their orchid-like cuticle, which is reinforced with basic compounds that counteract the high acidity. This is what allows them to feed on tougher, multicellular sources of food.

Eventually, the bare nubs of a juvenile palmcap’s feet become fleshy pads not dissimilar to those of a frog. The pads are covered in tiny pores which can secrete a thin layer of mucus, though the concave surface of the pads provides a limited level of suction as well. When their time comes to metamorphose, these specialized feet are used to ascend tall violet flora. While the only such flora in their range are notchpalm and its relatives, a bowpalm would also suffice. After reaching the top of said flora, the palmcap will permanently settle into place. The legs metamorphose into long tentacles, which twine around the tree to prevent the palmcap from falling off. The roots then dig into the host flora using powerful enzymes, also usually detaching the flora’s reproductive stalk to make more room for the growing asterplent.

When an adult palmcap is fertilized, it starts producing as many offspring as it possibly can. It drains the host flora of nutrients at a faster rate, eventually killing it. Once this process starts, it doesn’t really matter if the palmcap loses access to viable gametes. If conditions become less favorable, it can simply switch to reproducing parthenogenetically. The lifespan of an individual palmcap may vary, though after it has been fertilized it will usually only last a year or less, depending on how long the host can tolerate being drained of vital nutrients.