Cradle Shootroot

The Cradle Shootroot is a small anchored Lifeform that lives in a symbiotic relationship with the Lucifer Rotsac which dwells within the central cavity.

Appearance

The Cradle Shootroot's main body is shaped like a hollow four-pointed star, increasing in width as it grows taller. The body is surrounded by flattened blue projections, radiating outward and bifurcating then ending in forked yellow tips.

Recipe

The Cradle Shootroot can be crafted using the Habitat Builder.

Result: Cradle Shootroot

Databank Entry

A basket-shaped organism (tentatively shootroot cunabulum) with no clear Earthly analog. Anatomically similar to a plastic starfish, or to an opened variety of Earth's extinct blastoids.

1. Animal anatomy

The flattened, fibrous 'leaves' are the arms of an animal loaded with photosynthetic symbiotes. The central structure houses a digestive system and a hard, sticky cradle (the cunabulum). A second ring of arms grows into the seabed, seeking crevices in the rock.

2. Preferred symbiote

The cradle is an exchange site with a symbiotic partner (such as the lucifer rotsac). Spectrogenetic analysis suggests the cradle shootroot is younger than the rotsac. It may have originally parasitized free-floating lucifer rotsacs, before evolving a niche as an anchor: providing a refuge and minerals to the rotsac in exchange for a share of the rotsac's fermented food.

3. Plastic fibers

Although it lacks the true cell walls of Earth plants, the cradle shootroot strengthens its tissues with bioplastic fibers. Too tough to cut by hand, they could be severed by a cutting tool.

Assessment: tough fibers could be used to synthesize fabric, possibly food.

Source: Scan a Cradle Shootroot

Gallery

In Game

A Cradle Shootroot with Lucifer Rotsac inside.

A comparison of Cradle Shootroot with and without a symbiote.

An empty Cradle Shootroot.