Caustic Rust Moss
Caustic rust moss is a special type of moss that only grows in Mariner's Rest. While it is highly corrosive towards insects and mammals it seems to have no harmful effect on plants and fish. It tends to live in long interconnected colonies near the roots of mega flora. The moss also seems to have an effect their hosts hormonal system causing them to produce elevated rates of most growth hormones. It also seems to host nitrogen producing bacteria. The combination of increased nitrogen levels in the soil around host plants and their elevated hormonal levels brings one of two outcomes, or the plant dies of over expenditure or it becomes megaflora. It is sometimes referred to as Widow's Tears.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Caustic rust moss is a small fuzzy moss that rather being any shade of green is varying shades of brown, typically matching the color of its host's bark.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Caustic moss needs only two things to survive, water and a host. It roots itself to a host and borrows sugar from them. In return the moss provides it with all of the nutrients necessary to produce sugar and defends it from harmful infections, insects, animals, and predatory plants. Together they form a symbiotic relationship that tends to result in the creation of mega flora.
Behaviour
Caustic rust moss has a rather curious behavior of being rather territorial towards other colonies of rust moss. It is believed that different colonies will relay growth and nutritional information about their current host to other nearby colonies in order to avoid killing each other's host or creating competition between them.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Caustic rust moss only manages to communicate with other members within its colony and surrounding colonies by releasing pheromones into the air. The moss typically does this in order to avoid problems between the hosts and colonial disputes over nutrition.
Scientific Name
non-vascular Bryophyta
Geographic Distribution
Discovered by
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