Grey Crystalbane

This orpiment variety is arguably the magnum opus of planticide. Its poison is very highly developed, though its complexity means that it takes lots of time to make. Similarly to its ancestor, it will start out preying on small plants, moving to larger ones as it grows. Over its lifetime, it loses its photosynthesis, turning from dark green to greyish green with age. When it reaches its full size, it will spend all of its highly developed toxin on the tallest flora it can find (usually a treecrystal or rupee tree), and starts transferring its poison as well as digestive enzymes into the tree, killing it. In order to reach its host tree, it will radiate thin roots in all directions, using primitive chemical receptors to slowly track down a flora of suitable size. When it has found its prey, it will start to lose its photosynthesis entirely, becoming blotchy and grey. Over the next month or so, it will absorb nutrients from the tree, using these nutrients to create hundreds of roots, only a few of which will end up becoming new grey crystalbanes. While it usually avoids competition, some immature individuals may end up killing goblin jewels or orpiment jewels. It also has sexual reproduction similar to that of its ancestor, usually deploying it in areas that are already abundant with Grey Crystalbane. When releasing underground spores, it does so from roots that are in range of other Grey Crystalbane. It is able to sense the presence of other individuals through special pheromones, also released from the roots.