Notchpalm

The tropics of Ovi have been relatively barren as no flora has taken to being exceptionally large, until now. Descending from the Violetpalm, the Notchpalm has grown to be one of the first tree-like organisms on Ovi. Lignin and simple vascular tissue have developed into a distinct wood. This both establishes greater fluid and nutrient transfer, as well as providing mechanical support for larger growth. The Notchpalm grows in successive bursts of growth. A newly sprouted Notchpalm looks like a curved stump with its fronds growing out from its top. A new notch is growing just below the fronds and will expand and lock into place before the next notch begins growing. This growth occurs from tissue between the base of the fronds and the top of the previous notch, essentially expanding into its form and solidifying. This process takes about a month to grow the first 6 notches, then slowing to 3 notches a month until the Notchpalm reaches its full height of 3 meters. These notches are covered in a soft bark, which mainly prevents water loss. They are positioned such to allow the palm to expand as it grows. It reaches 80 cm at the base when fully grown. The fronds branch out from the center of the crown, each a singular conical rod extending out 1 meter from the crown base. At the center of the crown is the reproductive bulb.

The Notchpalm is the sporophyte stage of the organism, and it reproduces through metagenesis, as do many organisms in its sister clades. From a central woody stem sprout many soft stems with moist bulbs at their ends. These bulbs produce airborne zoospores which (following rainstorms) will float on the wind to other Notchpalm crowns. The blown zoospores merge with the fixed zoospores and form a gametophyte bulb. The first gametophytes produced are all females, which rapidly produce female gametes in the now gametophyte bulb. The next blown zoospore event will produce male gametophytes. On the next rainstorm, the male and female gametes that are produced will undergo fusion. The male gametes will swim through the water film on the reproductive bulb created by the rain to a female gamete. This fusion will produce a zygote bulb. This zygote bulb will grow above the other bulbs, and release airborne zygote spores following a rainstorm. These will drift until touching down on moist soil and germinating, starting a new Notchpalm.