Grasses of the Archeacene

Although not as glamourous as animals, plants still undergo the same evolutionary processes. During the Time of Hunger the grasses of Loki underwent immense selective pressures; not from over-grazing, but simply because the starving rats ate the seed before it had chance to sprout. Countless species of grass were driven into extinction simply because they couldn’t produce another generation. Isolated areas (such as mountain sides) and faunal population crashes gave grasses breathing spaces to reproduce and safeguard against total extinction which- combined with the extreme pressures of selection- allowed them to develop strategies to ensure reproductive success against the hordes of hungry rats.

The grasses developed three main strategies to enable their seed to survive. Note that these ‘families’ are not families in the taxonomic sense; many species are not descended from a common ancestor nor even closely related, but instead evolved these strategies through convergent evolution.

Saltatorformes

The Saltatorforme strategy is to a) have their seeds disperse over a wide area and b) have their seeds be unpalatable. The seed pods are full of stringy, fibrous material that turns into paste when chewed open and soaked in saliva, gumming up mouths and being highly unpleasant to taste. Once ripe, the pods peel open and the fibrous strings catch the wind, carrying the seed away from the parent plant in a manner analogous to a dandelion seed. These tiny tufts of fluff create a remarkable sight as they dance through the air in great clouds. Seed release only happens on warm, sunny days, as rain will quickly turn the dancing troupe of floating seeds into a papier mache-esque sludge.

Minutaformes

Some grasses- rather than fight against being eaten- instead chose to embrace it. Hard shells were no defence against the crushing teeth and jaws of rats, so instead these seeds evolved to incredibly minute sizes, small enough to avoid being ground up and instead swallowed whole. The seeds have a sturdy coating which can survive passage through a rat’s digestive system; after a short while they are pooped out somewhere away from the parent plant, complete with their own source of manure. To aid this ingestion the seed pods have become quite tasty, with the seeds embedded throughout the pod wall. This encourages the rat to eat the whole pod, with the tiny seeds mixing with the chewed material that is being swallowed.

Tuberformes

Grasses are well known for producing rhizomes (rootstalks that grow from nodes), and the Tuberformes have turned rhizomes into a reproductive strategy. The Tuberformes drive their roots and rhizomes deeply downwards- beyond the casual burrowing of rats- before curving them round until pointing upwards. These eventually grow back towards the surface, upon which tillers (offshoots) will sprout.

This form of vegetative reproduction is not without its drawbacks, as the shoots are genetically identical to the parent plant. As handy as cloning yourself is, it also results in reduced genetic variation, thus making the species as a whole vulnerable. To counteract this many Tuberformes will link their rhizomes, physically connecting them and essentially turning the grass into a colonial organism. This system allows both the exchange of nutrients between individuals, but also genetic material. Whilst not as varied as regular sexual reproduction, it provides just enough mixing of genes to help guard against diseases and environmental changes.

The Tuberformes get their name from the large tubers they develop to help feed their extensive rhizome growth. Water and nutrients are stored in the tubers, allowing for an easier flow of energy to the emerging sprouts and providing a backup supply of energy should the surface plants be damaged or destroyed.