Lilypad

Lilypads are a large flora species that create the unusual landscape of the Lilypad Islands.

Appearance
In its mature form, the Lilypad sports one gigantic, circular leaf that floats on top of the water's surface. The green leaf has many veins extending outwards from the center. The lengthy trunk of the lilypad hangs in the water, anchoring its roots to a large boulder to stop itself from drifting away.

The lilypad displays a multi-staged life cycle through which it changes drastically.


 * It begins as a small curled leaf anchored to the ground by a thin stem. Several small shoots protrude from the ground below around it.
 * The leaf then grows into a fan shape and the shoots around the base grow longer, twisting around the main stem and firmly anchoring it to the ground.
 * In the third stage the leaf appears to become inflated with gas, which causes the lilypad to become buoyant, ripping the ground it was growing in away from the seabed and up towards the surface.
 * At stage four it takes on the appearance of a lilypad, presumably once the gas filled lilypad reaches the surface it opens up into a huge, flat, circular leaf that sits on the surface of the water.
 * Lilypads will eventually die and collapse to the seafloor. Large amounts of life can be found around the corpses and young Lilypads will begin to grow.

Design
The Lilypad is based on real life water lilies such as Victoria amazonica, with its leaves capable of reaching 3 metres in diameter. The ones on 4546B, however, are far larger.

Gallery
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