Local Name: The Corpse Cage Tree
Official Name: Το πτώμα κλουβί δέντρο
Laymans: to ptóma klouví déntro
Classification: A Fruitful Flora
Location: Classified
Height: Adults can be anywhere from 10 ~ 15 ft (304.8 ~ 457.2 cm) tall.
Appearance: Healthy adults have rough, smokey brown in color bark to shield it from animals, which fade to an ashen bone white when dead. The sweet fruit lining it's soft underbelly ranges from deep reds to lighter oranges. The rib-like limbs act as branches for creatures to perch while they eat. Torn-like spikes line the spine of the tree to prevent confrontation with bigger animals.
Lifespan: Determined by how many noticible rib-like branches the tree presents. One set of ribs is estimated to grow within a week. Average Life is between 7 ~ 8 weeks, in which the fruit starts to wither and fall away within days.
Reproduction: The fruit lining the underbelly of the tree contains seeds what are considered inedible and lethal if consumed. The seeds are covered in magic fused shells that allow said tree to sprout inside living creatures, where it acts as a tapeworm and feeds off the host's nutrients until death, in which the tree will continue to grow from the corpse, earning it part of it's name.
Survival Habits:
1. Apertures: Holes can be found along the trunk of the tree, where small animals and insects can burrow into for shelter. The inside of the tree is lined with a slick substance that causes the opening to be sealed shut, trapping the animal inside for added nutrients to the flora's diet.
2. Light source: Although a brilliant source of light, the bulb on the end of the trees tallest limb is to make it more visible in it's dark surroundings. It attracts insects and critters alike who fall victim to the trees hunger.
3. Scent: The fruit bears a sickly sweet odor, attracting most nearby fauna, and covering the stench of corpses inside it's trunk.
4. Greed: The Corpse Cage Tree is so hungry, that if two grow too close to one another, their roots will try to prevent the other from receiving nutrients, often causing both trees to perish in the struggle for dominance.
