Purple Spheres
The Purple Spheres split from their ancestor and diversified throughout Glicker. These distinctive balls of cells are, apart from their shape, fairly similar to their ancestor. However, the shape is very important. In the presence of fauna with stomping, kicking feet, they have taken on a spherical shape so that when kicked they will roll, spreading cells that will grow into new purple spheres. Being spherical also increases the dispersal of individual cells when they are stepped on and popped. Any cell which comes off the colony can grow into a new sphere, but the inner cells do so the most, as they have large water stores that allow them to survive their violent dispersal. Lacking roots or a vascular system, it makes little difference to them whether they grow on the ground or on other flora. As they can grow very fast, they are among the most common small flora in their environment.
Purple Spheres are no longer detritivorous, instead depending mainly on photosynthesis. Still, they retain bottom cells—now holdfast cells—which help they stay anchored to the ground. In fact, these cells are so good at holding onto the ground that they are often torn off when the sphere is disturbed and rolls away. This benefits it because the wound allows more inner cells to effectively spray out and grow into new individuals, and the holdfast cells can simply grow a new sphere. Sometimes, cells from one purple sphere will land on cells from another. When this occurs, the cells mate and produce four genetically distinct offspring. They do not grow into new spheres right away, awaiting further dispersal by wind, rain, or fauna so that they do not compete with one another.
Purple Spheres have a similar flavor and level of nutrition to iceberg lettuce. Though they resemble very juicy fruit, they are not particularly sweet. Nonetheless, they are still a food source which is readily available and easily devoured. When they are low on water, they can take on a somewhat deflated appearance; in this state, what little flavor they have is more concentrated.
There are many species of Purple Sphere. They are all fairly similar to one another externally, though they vary somewhat in color. Those in climates where temperatures can reach below freezing for a significant part of the year are annual, the large colonies dying off from the frost and new ones regrowing from their unicellular representatives the following year. Species in colder climates also tend to have darker pigmentation. Desert- and mountain-dwelling species have thicker exteriors, as to retain more water. All species are capable of surviving in unicellular form and grow into spheres only when they have sufficient sunlight and water. There are even species present in the photic zones of the Rabid and Allen Lava Tube Caves, their ability to survive as unicellular microbes helping them live through light-poor conditions and spread to different parts of the photic zone. Some species have minute patterning to make them less conspicuous, but most are just a single color or gradient.