Sunsnap

A bizarre species of plant, sunsnaps - occasionally known as mammoth munchers - are huge, irregularly shaped plants that grow flat along open plains and fields, with large waving fronds mimicking the grass they're surrounded by. Despite their names, sunsnaps are rarely harmful, being that their immense leaves hide complex root structures that absorb every last ounce of nutrients they possibly can from the soil just before a flurry of seeds erupt from their plate-leaves. These seeds are highly regarded as a rare delicacy among many species, and it's not uncommon for hodgepodge of creatures to chase the seeds as they float on the wind.
The sunsnap's nickname as a mammoth muncher was mistakenly given when it was believed to be an enlarged cousin of the much hungrier meddleshine. This correction is widely known in present days, but the nickname persists as wide-eyed conspiracy theorists insist that sunsnaps are indeed carnivorous. Slightly less known is that they are indeed predatory, albeit not towards animals; sunsnaps will sink their roots into other plants, stealing their nutrients and killing them off, often within days or even hours of the parasitism beginning.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Sunsnaps are characterized by their flat, enormous leaves covered in delicate fronds. Very rarely does the primary trunk create more than three leaves at any given moment, owed to the huge amount of resources required to grow them - and often these leaves don't form for the first several years of the sunsnap's existence. Underneath these leaves are sprawling root structures, often spread as deeply as they are wide in an attempt to claim as much nutrients from the soil as possible; these roots grow exceptionally slowly, up until the point where the leaves have formed, and the sunsnap roots wither and perish.

Genetics and Reproduction

Sunsnaps are a hermaphroditic plant that effectively clones itself with every generation. Some rare subspecies do have gendered individuals, but these tend to grow smaller and in tighter clusters than the average sunsnap.

As a whole, the sunsnap species begins its reproductive cycle with the growth of its plate-leaves; designed to absorb as much sunlight as possible, these grow over the span of several weeks before reaching full size. Fronds appear rapidly across the surface of these leaves, becoming matured in approximately five days, as the air is filled with pungent pheromones that trigger other nearby sunsnaps to prepare to release their seeds as well.

These seeds may well drift or settle for months before beginning to sprout, as sunsnaps are horribly picky about their sprouting conditions. Meanwhile, the parent plants will perish within days of releasing their seeds, having used all of their resources to create this explosion of seeds.

Growth Rate & Stages

Sunsnaps grow very, very slowly for the majority of their lives - once they have rooted and begin to sprout, which may take years on its own, the sunsnaps will spend further years growing a sprawling root structure as a moss-like growth spreads over its stem for photosynthesis. In this form, sunsnaps are borderline unrecognizable, appearing to be little more than lichen-encrusted stumps.
Sunsnaps are most recognized for their shorted life period; seeding. Immense leaves spread from its base - typically several feet in length and width - as the sunsnap's roots begin to decay. From this point on, the plant is under a strict time limit, lasting a mere week to unfold seeding fronds and release them before the sunsnap from a lack of nutrition and dehydration.

Ecology and Habitats

Sunsnaps grow best in open fields with rich soil, and will not root anywhere else. They will grow in small clusters, with the weakest or late sprouting sunsnaps perishing in competition with the rest. These decaying sunsnaps often

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Sunsnaps are most famously used for their seeds, which are recorded to have a variety of tastes and textures depending on the temperature, season, and nearest-growing plants during their spawning season. Lesser known are the practical purposes for their leaves, which are already largely popular for simple sight-seeing

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Sunsnaps have a basic sense of sunlight and 'smell', as the species release strong pheromones just before seeding. This pheromone not only draws animals nearby - ones that will ideally carry their seeds far and away - but spur other nearby sunsnaps to prepare to release their seeds as well.

Lifespan

50 - 60 years

Conservation Status

Vulnerable