Tiraturi (ENG)

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Tiraturi
(Antaianthus Pugnax)

 

The tiraturi is a perennial plant, characterized by a big flower headed inflorescence which makes it immediately recognizable.

Although this plant grows in the endocontintental areas of Mimmum, having thus received a different taxonomic classification from the traditional system, for many reasons it can be considered similar to a plant of the family of the Asteracee.

 

The tiraturi is known for its ability to individuate with precision the creatures moving around it and, above all, the skill to use its surroundings to find projectiles to throw at them; the tiraturi starts to react from three meters of distance (roughly ten feet), but its effective range is of a mere metre (a little over three feet), and a throw performed by a tiraturi can be only dangerous in close range thanks to a series of physiological devices the plant evolved for this very reason. 

This behavior is called ectropism, from the Greek words εχθρός (echthrós) “enemy” and τρέπομαι (trépomai) "I turn to".
For this reason the tiraturi is also commonly known, outside of sacred contexts, as "vandal grass" or "violent flower".

Average life span
The tiraturi is a perennial plant, that can reach up to six years of age.

Etymology
The scientific name of the tiraturi plant used on Earth involves Greek and Latin at the same time, trying to adjust the original taxonomy classification currently valid on Mimmum.
Antaianthus is the union of the two Greek words antaios (ανταίος), which means “opposed, hostile”, and antheia (άνθεια), “flower”. Pugnax, from Latin, means “pugnacious, combative”.

Description

The tiraturi is a tall, herbaceous plant. It's an hemicryptophyte (which means it forms new buds that survive the rigid seasons by staying at ground level, protected by snow or leaf litter, while the remaining organism withers).

The tiraturi has an erect floral axis and the stem, straight and ascending, reaches a meter and a half in height and from one to eight centimeters in diameter.

 

While the plant's stem has a smooth, glossy surface, its leaves are covered by a light fuzz covered of an oily, sticky substance that allows the tiraturi to grab the object it will use as projectile weapons. 

Once the leaf is adhering to the improvised bullet (which could be a pebble for example, or a stick, or leaves from another plant) an answering thigmonastic response is activated by the stimuli, and the leaf automatically curves around the bullet to guarantee a better grip. In the end, the tiraturi throws the object agains its perceived “opponent”;  it often hapens that part of the fine hair on the leaf page sticks to the bullet, so, by observing these plants, one could understand in theory if the area is populated by animals of a certain size. Tiraturi don't react to the presence of animals deemed too small, like tiny lizards or frogs, but they start to identify as plausible targets those that are big as a dodo or a rabbit.

 

How can this plant sense the creatures around it is still an object of study. One of the explanations for the phenomenon is the peculiar disposition of its roots: they are divided into primary and secondary, and they seem to fulfill different duties.

The primary roots radici are taproots, devoloping deeply in the ground, and their role is to maintain reserves and find the necessary nutrients to ensure the survival of the whole organism. If they're damaged the tiraturi suffers greatly from it, especially if it's still growing.

The secondary roots are thinner instead, and they make a dense web that spreads out in any direction from the plant, mainly moving near the surface and surrounding rocks, clods, and even roots that belong to other plants; secondary roots also probably have the task to keep the plant anchored even more firmly and to "map" the surrounding area to discover the eventual presence and weight of potential enemies, testing the pression exerted by them on the soil they have slithered in. If the secondary roots are damaged, the plant doesn't seem to suffer from it at all, and it's capable or recreating them quickly.

 

The tiraturi's leaves, symmetrical and colored of a beautiful bottle green hue, are big and thick, arranged alternately on the lower part of the stem and opposed to each other for the rest of the plant. Their shape is lanceolate-oval, elongated, with a sharp apex and regular edges, traversed by a single nerve that supports the leaf. These leaves are twelve-seventeen centimeters long. 

Only the leaves on the lower part of the stem are used to collect objects, since the leaves on the upper part tend to be thinner and covered with sparser hair.

 

Inflorescence and fruits

The tiraturi plant prepares its inflorescence immediately at the end of the cold season, with mathematic precision, so much so that in the past the inhabitants of the endocontinent used this as a sign of the passing of season. The flower head withers in the rainy season of the first autumn.

The inflorescence isn't made up by a single flower, but by a flower head that is composed by a series of tiny, bright yellow flowers. Inside the flower head there's a smooth surface on which are placed two minute sensory organs that work as two extremely rudimentary eyes, composed by a delicate membrane capable of assessing with precision the environmental light conditions.

At first it was believed that these little eyes, that appear as two dark spots at the center of the flower head, were useful to the tiraturi to determine the weather, but the theory was discarded in favor of one that hypotizes that their task is to spot flying creatures approaching, which might want to feed on the still unripe seeds, and make so that the tiraturi can send them away (preferrably with stones). It's a rather precise mechanism, since flying animals can't be sensed by the secondary roots, and these "little eyes" have evolved exclusively for the purpose of remedy this deficiency, duty that they follow until the seeds are not completely ripe.

 

A tiraturi never develops more than a flower head for plant.

The structure of the flower head is typical of those of Asteraceae: a fleshy floral axis supports a casing composed of several bracts (modified leaves). The external bracts are thick and velvety, of an extremely showy canary yellow colour. 

Given that the "eyes" of the tiraturi are very delicate, during storms or in the presence of dangerous external agents the central bracts fold up to cover them.  

When the small flowers in the disc of the flower head mature, they become orange arrowhead fruits compressed at the sides, surrounded by a chaff (a kind of shell). The surface of the shell is velvety. 

The seeds have different colors and sizes, and in general the shorter ones contain more oil. The colors range from straw yellow to anthracite. 

The fruit is six to thirteen millimeters large.

 

Reproduction

The reproduction of the tiraturi happens mainly through fertilization carried on by entomogamous pollination (through insects) and then dissemination of the seeds fallen on the ground operated by small animals (larger animals can't really do that, for obvious reasons).

 

Distribution and habitat

Although it is a sufficiently rare plant, it can grow throughout all the internal range of Mimmum, preferring rocky areas.

 

Variability

The tiraturi is not much of a variable plant. Small chromatic differences can sometimes be found among different specimens, but in general it's a plant that doesn't present large variations.

 

In the kitchen

The tiraturi is not a very versatile plant in the alimentary context, however the oil produced from its seeds – through a long and very complex process – is used for rituals that were thought to restore skin health. This was thought because, well, it's actually true; moreover, if used as a condiment, it gives a delicious and slightly pungent flavor to dishes. This oil is generally orange-amber in colour, and particularly loved as a condiment for spicy dishes, while it is considered disgusting if used in sweet dishes.

 

In popolar culture

The tiraturi is a plant sacred to the cult of Sterei, given that its brightly colored flower head recalls the figure of the Sun. This plant is so sacred that it's considered blasphemous to pull a wild one out of the ground; however, it's not impossible to grow a tiraturi at home. One should wait for the mother plant to make seeds, and avoid the numerous blunt objects that it throws at those who approach it.

The tiraturi is a difficult plant to grow, because if one doesn't keep in check the growth of secondary roots so they can't step on them by mistake, it will try to murder its grower. As for the rest, it adapts well to many types of soil and if well cultivated it can reach two meters in height.

It is a heliophilous and adaptable plant. 

It's considered a bad subject to depict in still life drawings, as it gives an impression of vitality and vigor to those who have seen him live at least once.

Similar species

• Antaianthus perennis, the common hostile flower. It doesn't present an ectropism as strong as the tiraturi. It shivers if touched.
• Antaianthus liberalis, or generous tiraturi. It's very similar to a tiraturi, enough to be confused with it by an inexperienced eye. Unlike the "real" tiraturi, the ectropism of the generous tiraturi only shows itself when its fruits are ripe. In that case it shakes itself and uses its own leaves to scatter its fruits around in the hope that the approaching animals will be able to carry its seeds even further away. It's a very rare species, because animals usually eat them instead, even if they have a more unpleasant taste than those of the tiraturi.
• Helianthus pauciflorus, a wild sunflower with lanceolate leaves.
• Helianthus annuus, the common sunflower. Even if Mimmae deny it, earthlings see a certain resemblance between the two plants, enough that the tiraturi gained the ironic nickname of "mad sunflower".

Facts and trivia

• If burnt, the tiraturi's leaves can have a light psychotropic effect.
• It seems that their bodies are able of a rudimentary form of learning, since the same plant answers to one stimuli in diffent ways depending on age and experience. For example, after at least an year of living together, a well cared for tiraturi might start recognizing the steps of their grower and stop trying to assault them.
• Tiraturi are able to lift items up to the weight of four kilograms.
• Bigger animals are considered by tiraturi as threats, but the smaller animals are good as bullets.

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