<previous next>

Azurebud

Succulent type: Caudiciform (Stores water in the thickened base of its stem)

This short caudiciform grows up to 10 feet (3.0 meters) tall. The pleated stem is gray or azure, and is covered in sharp spines. It has a wavy, narrow, bronze trunk atop a narrow clump of rough, exposed roots. The branches are thick and pink-red and are long, thin and wispy.

The serrated-edged, kidney-shaped leaves are dark yellow and sky blue. They are flimsy, and take some effort to detach.

It is very slow growing, taking 4 years to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, several flowers with each petal a slightly different shade of violet grow at the top, reappearing after 7 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is shaped like a sphere made up of 9 widely spaced, round-tipped petals. It has a weak scent that smells like musk.

The caudiciform's skin is very thick, the red flesh is smooth, and the red sap is thin and can cause blindness if consumed.

It aggressively steals nutrients from other large plants (but not each other).
It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles