Sanguine Murder Bloom

The sanguine murder bloom is speculated by some botanists to be a native of Malcantor Mace, the dark plane home to the savage Uriapans Snowtrap. It is theorized to have been brought over to our world, either by accident or design, by one of the dark god's rare intrusions into Jordfold millennia ago.

Anatomy

Dimensions

Flower, diameter: varies significantly depending on age and size of colony. Specimens in so-called 'super-colonies' have been found with a diameter of 7 meters (22 feet)
Arterial vent, height: again, this can vary significantly. Larger specimens can reach 5.5 meters (18 feet).

Appearance

The first sign that an area has been colonized by a sanguine murder bloom is its extensive system of 'tendril-like' black vines, which can grow as a thick as a man's trunk, and are covered in thousands of razor sharp thorns. The thicker vines contain large sacks similair in appearance to blisters, the purpose of these is to break down organic matter for food.
The flower itself often grows well over a meter in diameter and is made up of the following parts; the most obvious section is the aperture, essentially a 'hole' in the center of the flower which contains the reproductive organs. Surrounding the hole are the diaphragm and perigone lobes, the latter of which resemble the petals of most flowers. They have a moist, rubbery texture and apparently smell like burned meat.
Finally, the 'arterial vent', separate from the flower, its function is to store food and they are found high up in surrounding trees. The arterial vent is a fleshly looking organ covered in hundreds of pores which are concealed by a very fine 'film' or aperture. They are a very pale pink colour when empty but become dark red or even nearly black when full. Larger colonies of sanguine murder bloom can contain dozens of these organs.
There is some evidence of a major organ located far underground. This organ is contains a highly corrosive dark red liquid which is theorized to be divided among a wide network of nodes which feed upwards via stems into hollowed out trees. It is unknown from which source the organ use to refill this liquid once it has been exhausted.

Behaviour

When a sanguine murder bloom colonizes an area, it wastes no time in expansion. Its great entanglement of vines will seek out in all directions, feeling along the forest floor for sustenance in the form of any unfortunate woodland critter (or traveler) to be caught in its suffocating grasp. Any captured animal or person will be then be taken to one of the fleshly growths that are found on the outside of thicker vines. Once inside, a thick, rubbery 'skin' will envelop the opening. The bloom's enzymes will then begin the process of breaking down all tissue for food, while the blood is transported to the arterial vents via very high pressures believed to originate underground.
The high pressure will cause the arterial vents to fill rapidly and once that happens, the blood is expelled through the hundreds of pours in a crimson shower. The roots of the sanguine bloom then soak up the blood to encourage growth. A recent field study by renowned botanologist Aymariah Towler suggests that excess blood is used to replenish the underground nodes, thus potentially solving the mystery of the unknown source of the corosive liquid. The liquid acts as a secondary defense and is expelled with high pressure out of stems which are found in hollowed out trees. It is strong enough to melt cast iron.

Combusting Mace

The not so appetizing sounding 'combusting mace' is the name given to the fruit that grows inside of the sanguine bloom's flower. The outer skin is tough, dark red to nearly black and is covered in spines. It is noted by botanologists for the role it plays in the bloom's unusual reproduction method. Instead of relying on animal to eat it and deposit the seeds through waste, the fruit is propelled many feet into the air by high pressure. A few moments after it has landed, it will explode and disperse its seeds over a great distance.