Ngiki - Fire algae ('ŋi:.ki)

Ngiki is a type of algae that can reach up to twenty meters in height. It grows in the shallow inland waters of Layida. At an average temperature of 30°C to 40°C, the leaves and fruit bodies are edible, which is why Ngiki is an important staple food and is grown in seaweed farms. The fruits taste nutty and slightly sweet. The leaves are crisp.

Scientific name:
Hiri NGIKISA aswital
Common name: Fire algae
Line: Thallophyte
Lineage: Tentacle-forming
Habitat: Inland seas of Layida
Life expectancy: perennial
Height: 15m to 20m
Appearance: yellow roots and flowers, tentacles, orange-green leaves, red fruits
Food: soil nutrients
Reproduction: flagellated spores
Benefits: Poison for symbiosis, fruits and leaves edible

If the water temperature drops to less than 25°C, the flower tentacles secrete a toxic neurotoxin, which can lead to paralysis and even death. The neurotoxin is used in Layid medicine and is particularly needed for the Spark symbiosis. There are specially trained Layikani who are familiar with the cultivation and production of the neurotoxin.

The outside of the leaf edges is fringed. The inside is smooth. It uses its yellow taproot to feed. Above the ground, the root forms a short, forked style that branches into up to five branches. Alternating orange-green leaves and yellow flowers with tiny tentacles grow on it. A yellow sporangium grows at the top of each.

The yellow sporangium produces flagellated spores which, after being distributed in the water, are captured by the flower tentacles and fertilized. This produces a red fruiting body, which, after ripening, detaches from the stem and falls to the seabed, from which a new plant emerges.

by Blue Fairy 74