Hollow Trees

A genus of fast growing, but short lived, trees that are found within the valleys of both the Greater and Lesser Spine Mountain ranges.  

Appearance

Smooth, thin, green colored bark, with evenly-spaced node rings all the way up it's length, giving it a very bamboo-like appearance. Also similarly to bamboo, the internode segments of the trunk are mostly hollow (hence the name), though the space is crisscrossed by many vasular bundles. Their trunks also lack any visible tapering, despite being capable of growing over hundred feet tall and five feet in diameter.
Two to five branches grow from the node rings from the top third of the tree, which also follow the same segmented pattern as the trunk and from their node-rings grow long slender leaves.
(flower appearance tbd). Fruit, when ripe, are a vibrant blue with a brown, hard, cross-shaped shell partly covering the bottom.  

Lifecycle

Hollow trees only live, depending on the species, between one to five years. For those that only live one year, they spend the majority of their growing and spreading their branches until the fall, when they flower. By the time winter arrives, their fruits have ripened and were either harvested or fallen to the ground and the tree dies.
For longer lived species, the growth rate is slightly slower and go into a dorminancy state during the colder months. Once they reach their maximum height, they flower and die during the fall/winter cycles.
For all species, once dead, the tree easily succumbs to the elements and most have fallen by the time spring returns, their fallen corpses becoming a much needed food resource for herbivores and fire wood for Daulka during the harsh winter.  

Species

The different species are recognized not just by size, but the color of their wood prior to sap drainage.  

Yellow Hollow Tree

This species is the tallest growing, some specimens reaching well over a hundred feet tall and 3 feet in diameter. Living only one year, they can be found in the valleys of the Lesser Spine Mountains.  

Green Hollow Tree

The most wide spread species, they are found mainly in the central and south-eastern part of the Greater Spine Mountain valleys. Their size is middle range, compared to the others, with a max height of 80 feet and diameter of 2 feet. Live about 3 years.  

Red Hollow Tree

Sometimes called 'blood hollows' due to their sap color, they grow the shortest, but fattest with around a 50 foot max height and five feet diameter. Also the longest living, many reaching five years before activating their flowering cycle. They can be found in the northwestern part of the Greater Spine Mountains.  

Other

In the Valleys of Confusion, there are potential other species with varying sap colors. Due to the region being somewhat 'shared' by all three known species, these are likely hybrids with uncertain self-sustainability.  

Dangers

During winter, the wood of the now dead tree quickly grow brittle and break due to strong winds. Though their structures are hollow, their weight can easily crush the inattentive.
Another threat is during late autumn/early winter, when their fruit is fully ripened. Due to their hard, bottom, shell, the falling fruit can easily cause significant injury and even death to the unlucky.  

Uses

Their wood is an essential building material for the Daulka of all breeds, but it must be harvested before the air becomes too cold and the sap fully drained. Otherwise the wood becomes too brittle and only useful as firewood. Properly harvested and prepared wood can then used to build huts, furniture, tools and so on.
The bark, if prepared properly, makes either a decent writing surface or shingling for huts.