Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Desert
Range: North Africa
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Rare

About

A compact xerophytic shrub from the arid steppes of Morocco and Algeria, named after the ancient Gaetuli people of the region. Its jointed, fleshy branches bear pairs of tiny succulent leaves that minimise water loss, and it produces small yellow flowers that bloom even in near-desert conditions.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Zygophyllales
Family: Zygophyllaceae
Genus: Tetraena
Species: Tetraena gaetula