Darwinblades

Darwinblades are various small purpleblades found throughout Darwin, which split off from their ancestor but outcompeted the Darwinian populations of the original Purpleblade. They have hardy spores and somewhat sticky seed coatings, allowing them to be distributed by fauna where wind and water is lacking. As a response to predation, they have developed the ability to quickly shed and regrow their inflorescence if it is damaged while they are in season.

Darwinblades can be found in a myriad of habitats. In general, the thickness of their seed coatings directly correlates to the amount of water present, as the coating is broken down by water. Riparian species have the thickest seed coatings of them all, taking advantage of water-based distribution to carry their seeds far away, while species in dry climates have very thin seed coatings which dissolve almost immediately on contact with moist soil. Polar species only grow for part of the year, and seeds that are buried under snow do not grow until spring arrives. The amount of water present also affects how often the inflorescence is present: like its ancestor, it will retain this year-round in riparian species, but in habitats where seasons make some parts of the year more favorable it will only be present some of the time. This usually correlates with the wettest season, but some species will keep it out much longer to take full advantage of distribution by fauna. Species in habitats with limited light tend to grow lower and more spread out to maximize captured sunlight. Like its ancestor, it has secondary growth nodes along its inflorescence which prevents reproduction from disrupting growth.

Like their ancestor, Darwinblades reproduce using spores. Microgametes are produced at the leaf tips, and these may be carried away by wind or fauna. These meet macrogametes at the end of the inflorescence, and once fertilized these develop into seeds consisting of a young individual wrapped in a water-soluble coating. In species which do not breed year-round, the inflorescence falls off once their fruiting season has ended.