Geertruudia

Made for the Peculiar Plants Challenge 2021.

DarlingtoniaCalifornica by Denis Barthel

The Geertruudia (biol. Smallbottomia Oboediens) is a carnivorous plant and its blossom (when closed) has the rough shape of a bowl. It was first discovered and named by Geertruud Smallbottom while travelling through the vast, unexplored jungles of Boranga. The plant lures victims close with a very sweet smell. When it detects the body heat underneath its open blossom, it quickly closes and suffocates the victim, so poikilothermal creatures are secure from Geertruudia.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Geertruudiae have a strong stem and large pointy leaves, a huge blossom is sitting at the top of the stem, hanging downwards to the ground.

Growth Rate & Stages

If supplied with enough water and all the nutrients it needs, a plant can grow to its maximum size of almost 3 metres within a year. After two years the plant will start growing egg-sized oval capsules around the neck of the blossom, and next time the plant rapidly snaps for a victim, some of the seeds just snap off and fly through the air to find a place to grow.

Ecology and Habitats

The plant is usually growing in crowded jungle areas where it is hard to make out between all the other plants surrounding it, raising the chance to capture an unsuspecting victim.

Additional Information

Domestication

Gnome Workshop

The gnomes of the Gnome Workshop have domesticated 12 plants in a large greenhouse on top of their workshop. Each plant sits in a separate and movable pot, surrounded by a large cage to prevent any unsuspecting gnome to get trapped by a plant by accident. Access to the plants is possible by walkways above the cages.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Geertruud by Artbreeder

During one of her explorations, Geertruud Smallbottom found herself trapped inside the plant. Fortunately, nearby employees of the Gnomish Expeditionary Force saved her. While freeing her, the gnomes found out that once the plant had a victim in its grasp the plant remembered its form until it closed its blossom petals around a new victim. Further investigation revealed, that it is possible to trap a tiny item inside the blossom of a still small Geertruudia plant, and that the plant will remember the shape even once has reached its final size. You just have to avoid the plant moulding around a different shape in-between by feeding the plant with fluids instead.
So the gnomes started feeding only liquid or pulpy stuff (waste from a nearby butcher) to the plant, to create a living, scaled up mould for this model. To create large replicas of the small model, they trigger the full-grown plant to close its blossom and then fill wax into the sealed-off space through a small hole at the top. The plant, unable to digest this soon cold block of wax, opens its blossom again, releasing a pretty accurate wax replica. Because of its very resistant petals, the plant itself stays unharmed.

Geertruud Mini by HeroForge

The first use case for this was creating life-sized replicas of Geertruud miniatures made by Jamond, which were ordered by Margo Weedlebeam for the Geertruud Museum at Gnomerado. The gnomes made three copies each, one got a coat of colour for display in the museum. Two uncoloured copies are kept as replacement in case of damage to the exhibits. The plants that were used to make them have now been repurposed and new ones will need to be grown if more replicas are ever needed.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Boranga is so far the only discovered habitat.

Average Intelligence

The plant has no intelligence per se. It just reacts to heat underneath its blossom, closes it quickly to entrap a victim and tightens up around it to get all the air out to suffocate it. Depending on its age and size, it can catch creatures from bugs to human-sized prey. If it did catch a victim, that is slightly smaller than the plant itself it can survive by consuming it for several weeks.

Plot Hooks

Down the Drain - Some Geertruudia seeds escaped the Gnome Workshop by getting washed into the sewers and ended up along the coast of the Right Hand of God, a small island west of Bridgeport, now awash in rumours of people vanishing.

Alana

Open full size

A world full of wonders.

Scientific Name

Smallbottomia Oboediens

Origin/Ancestry

Boranga

Lifespan

20 years

Average Height

1.6 to 2.8 meters

Average Weight

60 to 180kg

Average Physique

Strong fibres throughout the stem and blossom petals prevent captured creatures from escaping.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The blossom petals are blood red, dark purple or dark blue, the colour of the stem and leaves varies between light green and dark green, sometimes it has a yellowish tone.

Geographic Distribution

• Boranga

Discovered by

Geertruud Smallbottom

Related articles

• Boranga
• Bridgeport
• Geertruud Smallbottom
• Gnome Workshop
• Gnomerado
• Gnomish Expeditionary Force
• Jamond
• Margo Weedlebeam