Žawrü
The Žawrü is the name for the tendrils that make up flowers like the Žawrülhë and the Vëtam-Wëðašïŋ. Biologically, they make up the main means by which these flowers transfer nutrients to and from each other. It is through these hollow tubular tendrils that large networks of flowers are formed and mutually supported.
These flowers are also one of the earliest such recorded organisms used in the Ibrófeneð tradition, being used by the members of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe even before the extant written records. The tendrils themselves are well-known for many qualities that range wildly between species, including the scent and color. These were the basis for the ritual known as the Aparaŋ-Ïlýrhonid, whereupon they were burned and the granular particles thereof transferred their scent or color into the resultant cloud that formed. Initially serving as a symbolic defense for the mythical Zar-Isyer-Akwor during the existence of the Kavamïŋ-Ïlýrhonid, it would evolve into a defensive and communications mechanism during the First Ýlëntukian War of 25020 - 25003 AYM. In particular, the highly-recognizable qualities of these plumes allowed an extremely quick detection and response for Kairn, the Ïlýrhonid Tribe's northern ally, and this adaptability was one of the key aspects that delayed the conquest of both tribes some 2500 years to 22711 AYM.
Anatomy and Physiology
Block Composition
The Žawrü is almost always in a hollow tubular shape. Instead of being a straight tube, it is a tapered shape, with the base of the tube being about 2 to 3 times wider than the tip. The tube is not a single unit but is made of individual cube-like blocks, which are linked to each other through flexible joint-like adhesive surfaces. This is the reason why the tube is flexible, as not only are the individual blocks stretching and compressing, but the surfaces between them are bending to account for the various stresses. Despite being smaller in diameter at the tip, these blocks actually increase in number, becoming compressed into string-like pieces that create even more flexibility at the tip. This gives the tendril a lengthwise series of dense striations, which are typical of a healthy flower.
Sensing and Honing System
At the very tip, one of the blocks is replaced by a specialized sensor and magnet, which is linked to the flower's signal system by which it senses and communicates with other individual flowers. In a given flower, the stem possesses two sensors located at the bottom and the top, respectively. These measure the amount of nutrients, both within the hollow compartment within the stem and inside the stem's dense walls itself. The plant grows when nutrients are poured from the tendrils into the compartment, whose permeable walls allow the nutrients to seep into it. As nutrients build up there, the existing layers are stretched and raised up, depleting the supply in the compartment.
If the compartment is empty, the empty space within the plant's stem renders it not only unable to grow further, but structurally weak, being much more susceptible to powerful gusts of wind and other environmental stressors. As such, it is in the grove's interest that the nutrients are evenly distributed across the entire population, as the depletion of one flower renders it a dead weight incapable of providing structural stability and resilience.
The sensor system is the grove's way of ensuring this consistency, but it also doubles as a means for newly-grown members to be inducted into the grove itself. This system revolves around the sensors in the stem, which release molecules that travel through the walls of the stem and into the magnets of the tendrils' tips, powering them up until the receptors of nearby flowers are magnetically drawn to it. If these are not connected, the magnets will ensure that the two tendrils meet each other, usually from the sides instead of straight on. The horizontal velocities of these magnets will make it such that, after connecting, the tendrils still move around each other, twisting into a tight knot. This knot is further bolstered by the striations in the tendrils, which provide the friction necessary for structural security.
If the tendrils are already connected, what occurs when one flower sends the magnetic signal is that the other flower's magnetic sensors in the stem itself, primarily the bottom one. This bottom sensor is connected to two membrane-like films, which normally lie adjacent to the walls of the compartment. When the magnetic sensor is activated, it draws the ends of these films towards it with such force that it compresses the compartment space and raises the level in its nutrients storage. This compression raises it to the point where it reaches the tendrils themselves, which draw up the nutrients and funnel them through the knot and into the other flower.
This system is incredibly dynamic, as the transferral of nutrients to one flower will often cause the donating flower to require more nutrients in turn. What results is an equilibrium, as the levels in the flowers are raised and lowered such that each flower has a roughly equal amount of nutrients inside it. Of course, these nutrients gradually decrease in level as they are used for growth, and the environment itself may change. Regardless of these changes, the grove will always stabilize to a certain level, which rises and falls based on the availability of nutrients in the surroundings.
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