Pentapad

As the lineage leading up to this species hadn’t changed much from its ancestral aquatic beginnings, the transition back into the water was relatively easy. Pentapads are a common sight at the shallow edges of darwinian lakes, taking advantage of the relatively unoccupied freshwater biomes.

Pentapads have undergone a number of changes to suit an aquatic lifestyle. The first thing you may notice is their large roots, which can extend up to 2.5 meters down in the open water. These support structures are far thicker than their more fibrous underground roots, and are covered in a waxy cuticle to prevent them from drowning. The majority of their respiratory stomata are located on their central spike, where they have a lower chance of being submerged by water. Like those of a Terran mangrove tree, the stomata can also be shut, allowing the pentapad to “hold its breath”.

Because of their aquatic nature, asexual reproduction has also been modified to suit their new environment. First, the mother organism grows a thick reproductive root which travels to the side, preferably until it is as far away as practically possible. It will then grow upwards, and develop a tiny crystal cap on top, which soon grows larger. This juvenile pentapad will continue to get nourishment from the mother until it reaches the open air. As the now separate flora continues to grow, it sends down more and more anchoring root structures from the sides.

The frill that surrounds the crystal structure serves as the main site of sexual reproduction. Pores on the underside of the frill release male spores, which eventually meet up with female spores from another individual. The female spores are situated on brown, elliptical patches on the underside of the frill. When the gametes fuse, the resulting zygote is transported into a new reproductive root, similar to the ones used in asexual reproduction. However, instead of the reproductive root forming into a new individual, the zygote starts dividing to become this structure instead. Like with the asexual offspring, this daughter organism is nurtured by the parent until it reaches the open air and is able to respirate for itself.