Jungle Sprawler

A towering titan of the deep canopy, the Jungle Sprawler rises more than 120 feet before its first limb forks. Its trunk is perfectly round and glass-smooth, flaring at the buttress roots into a base five feet thick. Bark ranges from cool slate-grey to olive brown and feels almost stone-hard to the knife; when wounded it weeps a clear, sweet resin that smells of pepper and pine.

High above, the crown spreads in a broad, umbrella-like disc. Branches splay horizontally, each tipped with clusters of small, waxy leaves that gleam jade on top and silvery underside—ideal camouflage against the mottled jungle light. Where full sunlight never reaches, shade-grown saplings huddle around the parent’s roots: slim poles 8-12 feet tall with straight, flexible limbs. These juvenile shoots provide perfect bow-staves; their heartwood is springy yet torsion-strong.

The tree is laced with fibrous climbing vines that fuse into its bark. Stripped, soaked, and braided, these fibres gain remarkable elasticity—useful for bowstrings and cordage. Cutting even a single sapling triggers a disquieting phenomenon: the surrounding forest releases a low, rising moan like wind through organ pipes. Hunters believe the Sprawler shares a subterranean mycelial web that “warns” neighbouring flora of harm.

In the dim under-canopy the Sprawler’s roots form natural halls, cool and dry—perfect ready-made lean-tos for travellers. Creatures often burrow beneath the root-fan, and its sweet resin draws luminous beetles at dusk, turning the tree base into a quiet lantern grove.

Known uses

• Bow wood: sapling branches plane true and hold tension.
• Elastic fibre: vine filaments become supple after a night’s soak.
• Resin: antiseptic, mildly sweet; burns with bright white light.

Hazards

• Felling a limb provokes the jungle’s “wail,” which can startle wildlife for miles.
• The buttress roots channel rainwater; careless chopping may flood a campsite overnight.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Main tree species in the South Shore Jungle.

Geographic Distribution

• South Shore Jungle

Discovered by

Frelina