#I've drawn this plant before but I was never satisfied wtih the resulting looks- so redo!!!

[kihakugato-art]

FloraSpectmber Prompt 2- Aquatic

Raftflower (Haquanthus volitariflora)

Growing throughout the coastal waters of Hoep, when not in flower it could be easily mistaken for Terran's Giant Kelp at first glance due its convergent adaptations. Unlike kelp however, it is not an algae, but rather it is a member of the flowering Asteraceae family.

Large air pockets are stored through the floral structures for surface flotation, and said air migrates to different parts during their development; starting from the base of the flowerbuds to begin flotation. Once they open the air moves to inflate the petals. Once the flower most of the air moves towards the developing seeds to keep them on the surface to invite fauna and Hoepian alike to forage upon its botanical raft. By the time the seeds deflate of air and sink they sink to the bottom to germinate at the coastal seafloor.

Despite being filled with air the seeds are also are packed with nutrition and oils, making it a very nutritious seasonal resource from the sea. Because of this and the fact they make habitat/shelter for fish, they are to some degree cultivated by many coastal settlements.

The flowers can vary in size depending on genetics as well as the nutrition from the sea itself; they range from 30cm to a whopping 1.5m in rarer cases. At their larger sizes they are able to still float while holding under the weight of an adult person.