Image Credit: UESP
Name: Tetragona
Homeworld: Mellaniphe
Development Thread: If Necessary
Average Measurements:
- Height: 0.6096 Meters (2 ft)
- Width: 1.0668 Meters (3.5 ft)
- Weight: 2.72155 Kilograms (6 lbs)
Cultivation Requirements:
- Moist Soil or Clay
- Type I Breathable Atmosphere
- Minimal Water
Strengths:
- Wild Growth - The Tetragona is a native grass that grows among the Valleys, Rolling Hills and Steppes of Mellaniphe. As it proved to be of little use to the native inhabitants, the grass was otherwise left as it was and not cultivated. Remaining a wild grass, it can easily spread and take over large parcels of land when not kept in check.
- Autumnal - As much of the climate on Mellaniphe is Autumnal, much of the native flora on the world are resistant to cooler climates. The Tetragona plant seems to be a bit more accepting of the Autumnal Climate and thrives in it as seen by its wild growth.
Weaknesses:
- Weed Status - Due to its status as a weed, and seen as not even suitable to be consumed by their livestock, the natives of Mellaniphe put great effort into removing the wild grass when ever they find it growing in their pastures. Though due in part to their reverence for nature, this often means that they transplant them, or find a means to sell them off world to landscaping firms.
- Drought Susceptibility - Primarily a cause by its natural habitat, the Tetragona grass is not hardy enough to survive on more arid worlds where they require larger amounts of water to remain thriving. This often means that they are sometimes used as low grade feed on other planets, or are shipped to similar worlds with a climate that matches Mellaniphe.
Distinctions:
- Ball Root System - Unlike many grasses, the Tetragona plant has a ball root system. This means that the removal of the grass is fairly easy and that they can be transplanted without much difficulty.
- Bulbous Growth - Like some flowering plants, the Tetragona grass has a bulbous growth cycle in that after a set time, the plant withers away and dies. Should the bulb remain intact, a new plant grows from the bulb once its growth cycle begins again.
- Olfactory Defense - While many species that purchase the Tetragona find the scent that it produces to be pleasant, there are some whom had said that it smells vile. This may be a cause of their own species biology reacting to the plants defensive measure which produces an odor that is noxious to native herbivores on Mellaniphe.
Average Growth Cycle:
- 1-2 Months by the Galactic Standard Calendar
Average Life:
- Bulbous Root System - 5 years by the Galactic Standard Calendar
- Grass / Upper Plant Stalks - 10 Months by the Galactic Standard Calendar
Nutritional Value:
- No known Nutritional Value of note
History:
The Tetragona Grass is a native species of Flora on the world of Mellaniphe, located in Wild Space. The historical record shows that a precursor to the grass was known to have become contaminated during the cataclysmic and destructive war that was raged for eons on Mellaniphe. Over the years the Tetragona Grass would develop its bulbous root like structure and its capability to grow rapidly, taking over large sections of land.
Upon the conclusion of the conflict that had devastated much of Mellaniphe's ecosystem, the Tetragona Grass was seen as a means to aid in recovery. A vast project to aid the grass in growing and transplanting it across the world was enacted by the native people as a means to aid their scared ecosystem to repair itself. Unlike many grass species, the Tetragona seemed to be less invasive and drew upon less nutrients from the soil, making it perfect as a buffer to keep flowering and fruit bearing flora protected from herbivores, insects and parasites.
Intent:
Further fleshing out the plant Mellaniphe and its vast array of Native Flora as a means to aid in providing a planet rich with lore, native flora and native fauna for individuals to discover and interact with.
