Hardroot

Large root structures, as wide as 500 meters at times. They take small amounts of nutrients from other plants and collect enough for themselves to grow extremely well. they survive best in fertile areas with lots of plants. Their roots are used for medicine when ground up and brewed into tea. Used to help with coughing and inflammation and has proven quite effective. As the name suggests, the roots are quite hard, almost as hard as wood. The actual plant is very small compared to the roots, it is a three leaved sprout which is easily missed or confused with other sprout type plants if you do not know what to look for. It's leaves have a triangular vein pattern, distinguishing them from most other plants.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

Each of the three leaves on the plant is filled with seeds, and when it dies the leaves blow in the wind and scatter, planting new hardroots and continuing the cycle. Obviously hardroots are not explosively reproducing, and one hard root can only produce around three more, assuming the leaves even find themselves in a place where they can be planted.

Growth Rate & Stages

The growth of hardroot is constant, and from the moment they are planted to the moment they die their roots are growing, if not their leaves. An ancient hard root, which has been around for around 150 years, the average lifespan, will have kilometre long roots whereas a year old one will have roots only extending a few meters.

Conservation Status

Although not endangered by any means, due to the limited reproduction that hardroots have they are not as common as one might think, especially given that they need a fertile environment to even survive. When using hard root for medicinal purposes it is customary to pluck it of it's leaves and go out and plant them in a fertile location, to ensure that hard root both stays alive as a species, and stays common as a medicinal plant.