Brittlebone Tree

The brittlebone tree grows in dry, arid environments, most often in areas with little to no wind. It is extremely fragile and sensitive, and is thus difficult to handle or transplant. It is currently unable to be grown in captivity due to its need for a very specific environment.

The brittlebone tree often grows against rock walls or between boulders to stay out of the wind. It commonly grows in deserts or badlands, especially in rockier areas with less movement of sand or wind. It grows continuously throughout its life, but because its branches have a tendency to break at certain heights, most remain under two feet tall.

The brittlebone tree's wood is very frail and delicate. A twig will snap at the slightest pressure, and thicker branches require little more effort to break. The site of the break shatters and crumbles into tiny splinters of wood. These shards pierce flesh easily, and some have likened it to being pricked by slivers of grass. The shards are nearly impossible to see and quite painful, so the victim must endure the pain until they are pulled free on their own. Inside the wood is a thin, clear sap which flows quickly from cuts until it dries to a rubbery, clear substance. This sap can be consumed, and is used as a source of hydration for those lost in the desert.

The roots of the tree are quite the opposite of their above-ground counterparts. They grow into thick, rounded nodules which are extremely sturdy and covered in a layer of tough fibers. The tree stores its water here and in desperation one can dig up a root and cut into it to reveal a thick, spongy yellow flesh which has a strongly bitter taste. These roots are very nutritious and some desert communities use them as a staple food in their diets.

The brittlebone tree grows thin, spiked leaves. They are yellow-green and rough to the touch. Like the branches of this desert tree, the leaves are fragile and crumble easily when crushed. Once a year, the tree flowers, sprouting hundreds of tiny yellow flowers. The flowers self-pollinate due to the lack of pollinators in the tree's native habitat, and soon after develop into bundles of tiny seeds, each attached to a parachute-like fiber, which catches in the wind and carries the seeds in all directions until they fall to the ground and are buried, sometimes many hundreds of miles away from their origin.