Shore Palm

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Shore Palm (Cocos maritima simulacrum)

The Shore Palm is a tall, slender palm uniquely adapted to the island’s reef-choked coastline. Its anatomy breaks down into four main regions:

---

1. Root & Base

• Flared root crown: Anchors into both sand and shallow reef rock with thick, stilt-like prop roots that resist shifting tides and storm surges.
• Fine feeder roots: Penetrate cracks in coral-stone, drawing up both fresh groundwater and trace aether from subsurface vents.

2. Trunk & Vines

• Straight fibrous trunk (25–40 ft): Patterned with old leaf-scar rings—each ring marks one season’s growth.
• Aether-lianas: Long, vine-like tendrils spiral downward from midway up the trunk.

3. Canopy & Fronds

• Pinnate fronds (10–12 per palm): Unfurl like giant emerald fans, each blade 4–6 ft long. Their waxy surface sheds salt spray, while stomata on the underside capture moisture from the sea breeze.
• Flexible skeleton: Frond ribs snap back quickly after wind-sheared storms, minimizing damage in the island’s frequent squalls.

4. Shorefruit Clusters

• Fruit pods: Round, pomegranate-sized Shorefruit with deep purple exocarp, nestled at the base of the frond crown.
• Seed gel: Each fruit contains dozens of gelatinous seeds rich in natural electrolytes and a mild aetheric charge.
• Ripening cycles: Fruits mature in two pulses per year, lighting the canopy with violet clusters that attract reef-eel flocks and fruit-bat swarms—key pollinators and seed-dispersers.

---

Together, these features make the Shore Palm a keystone species on the South Reef Shore:

• Roots stabilize the coastline
• Vines regulate ambient aether
• Fronds shelter scrub and seedling growth
• Shorefruit sustains both native wildlife and castaway survivors alike

Genetic Descendants

• Jungle Vine

Scientific Name

Cocos maritima simulacrum

Average Height

30 ft.

Geographic Distribution

• South Shore Jungle

Discovered by

Frelina