Name: The Great Cactus
Category: Useful
Size: Huge
Region: Desert, specifically the Scorpion Desert
Lifespan: Indeterminate
Appearance
The Great Cactus is actually not a single cactus but a group of smaller cacti clustered together in such a way that the stems have merged in a number of places while still having separate root systems. The result is that the Great Cactus appears to be the largest cactus ever seen, made up of both living and dead cacti, while maintaining multiple plants.
This giant cluster of cacti, which is situated almost directly on top of the largest and only permanent oasis, is located at the heart of the desert and blossoms only once a year in Tesseminas (December). The red and white flowers only last a day before falling away.
Diet: …
What does the plant usually eat? (Again, this is especially important for plants that have unusual diets, like carnivores).
Habitat: The Great Cactus has survived for centuries (though individual plants have come and gone) on the desert's largest oasis.
Reproduction: The flowers that bloom on the Great Cactus once a year in Tesseminas attract various flying insects which cross-pollinate the individual plants within the cluster. It's possible there are off-shoots scattered across the desert, but they most likely only take where there's enough water to feed the infant plant while it sinks its roots toward the water table.
Special Information
Strengths/Abilities:
- The Great Cactus has no specific strengths of its own. However, it acts as a landmark that signifies to desert travellers that there is water to be found, and even when the oasis dries up there is some water stored in the many cactus trunks.
- The cluster has survived for centuries, through flood and drought and scorpion swarms, even as individual plants have died off and been replaced by fresh growth. It is considered the oldest plant (not including trees) in Elysia despite the fact that even the longest-living of the individual stems is only a few years old.
- Cacti in general can store water to help it survive drought periods. The Great Cactus is also capable of putting water back in to the oasis to share between stems that are drying out, but it seems that these plants are also self-sacrificing. In particularly long periods of drought, there has been signs that stems on the outer rim of the cluster have allowed themselves to dry out so that the heart of the Great Cactus can survive.
- The cacti all have thick, sharp spines to defend against predators.
Weaknesses:
- It is completely reliant on the Great Oasis for sustenance. If that should ever dry up completely, the entire cluster will die off.
Uses:
- The fact that it does store water means that it is prey for various desert animals (including humanoids) who use it as a go-to water source when the oasis itself is dry.
Origin: …
Where did the plant come from? Did it evolve from another species, was it one of Xanth's experiments, or something else?
Other Info: …
This is a space to include any further information you feel would be of interest.
Creator: Emma
