Purple Pitcher Plant

The purple pitcher plant is a retinalphyte that hosts a symbiotic creature which it feeds in exchange for cleaning and protection. Several are pictured here, and in the background one is being defended from a grazing Durospina by its companion. [Creature design by [Raian Draggy]

Basic Information

Anatomy

Laguena has a fairly basal photosynthetic aparatus, including the reproductive depression on each of its three leaves. It does have some unusual features however. It s rhizoid forms a bulb bellow the surface and it has forgone sending out shoots for vegetative reproduction, although the bulb does still send out smaller thinner tendrils for mineral uptake. The other major adaptation is the eponymous pitcher. This structure is formed to hold a single tube barrel, a symbiotic xenoradiatan. The purple pitcher plant plant as a rule grows exactly three leaves.

Genetics and Reproduction

Purple pitcher plants are in fact sexual reproducing diploid creatures. When their hosts prepare to mate they will rub against male tube barrel will rub its lower tentacles on the reproductive depressions of its host before approaching a female, this brings with it haploid spores which will fertilize the spoors of the female's host as her eggs are being fertilized by the male. However because any purple pitcher plant may be host to ether a male or female tube barrel they remain anisogamous.

Ecology and Habitats

Purple Pitcher plants can be found in many of the same places as Bosio magno stands, fulfilling the roll of undergrowth in these areas, and they are able to quickly fill in gaps in the coverage because they are infrequently consumed, as those who try get a face full of sharp feeding fronds from a surprisingly fierce xenoradiatan.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

These organisms can be found world wide in the epipelagic zone, only being excluded from the coldest areas around Arctica.

EXTINCT

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Boseo

Scientific Name

Laguena purpura

Origin/Ancestry

Retinalphyta

Average Height

4.8" / 12.2 cm