Rowing Tree

Rowing trees are uniquely colored coniferous trees. They typically live in areas where most trees cannot grow, be it because of poor soil or little hydration. They manage this by producing copies of other trees' fruits for animals to consume. These mimics are laced with enough cyanogenic glycoside to kill nearly any living creature. The corpses of the animals that indulged in the fruit then decompose near the tree, granting it the nutrients it needs to survive.

Like with most poisons, certain animals have adapted to resist the effect of fruit mimics. These creatures have developed large amounts of hydroxycobalamin in their bloodstream, which acts as a rudimentary "antidote" for cyanide and carbon monoxide poisoning. Scholars have also made use of hydroxycobalamin, producing injections that can be taken before or after eating a mimic fruit.

by Olha Darchuk