Caraweed

Caraweeds are a species of duckweed from various regions on Osao. Due to its asexually reproductive abilities, the plant has travelled far beyond its native range and has caused issues in foreign ecosystems.

Anatomy

Caraweed have very simple structures, with no apparent stem or leaf systems. The fronts of caraweed grow to 3cm in diameter at most, with air pockets that allow them to float at the surface of the water. They are held together by tiny rootlets, which intertwine to form complex lattices.

Reproduction & Growth

Caraweed reproduce asexually through budding. The meristem sits at the bottom of each plant, where undifferentiated cells are produced which is how more weeds are created. The creation of a new caraweed can take just five hours.

Uses

Food

The most common use for caraweed is food. It is very protein-rich, some of the most on the planet. Caraweed is often used in salads, since they grow in abundance, are easily harvested with wide nets, and when cooked puffs up, eaten as snacks.

Habitat

Caraweed grows in any still freshwater environments. It grows en masse and when given enough time, can cover the surface of any body of water, seen best in the Sparkling Sodalands where 32% of all ponds and lakes smaller than 500m² have been completely covered in caraweed.

They are commonly associated with bapycaras, hence the name. Bapycaras often feed on caraweed in shallower waters, as they typically dive to the bottom of lakes to feed.

Caraweed often get caught on large migratory birds legs, and as they fly to different regions, caraweed can reproduce in new locations.