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Excerpts from the Observer's Pocket Book of Auraxis Plants

The Observer's Book of
Auraxis Plants
J. R. HARTLEY

Chapter IV: Hossin

From the rolling windy uplands to the deep, humid mangrove swamps, the continent of Hossin on planet Auraxis is alive with a variety of interesting native plants and trees. However, the number of identified native species remains low. This mainly due to the difficulties faced by botanical teams in the field such as being run over by magmowers or blown up by cloakers with boomers. Nonetheless, some progress has been made and presented here are the species so far documented.

The Sporkflower Bloom

The rare and delicate Sporkflower is a fine example of the unique nature of many Auraxian flora species. The Sporkflower is weather and soil hardy, growing mainly as isolated specemins in the dry hill valleys west of Acan and surrounding the southern Warpgates. Misnamed, the plant actually has no visible flower although the strange colored petal-like leaves of this tiny species are visible all year round.

Though hardy, the Sporkflower is now quite rare. Its decrease in numbers is thought mainly to be due to its extreme sensitivity to beamer fire, particularly from behind.

The Noobcap Mushroom

The Noobcap mushroom is another species that grows in the elevated dry valleys of Hossin's hill country although occasional sightings are made in the lowland swamps. The invisible and microscopic spores of this tall mushroom are given off in sudden bursts due to physical contact, much like the Earthbound "Puffball" fungus.

The spores are thought to have psychotropic effects, although serious scientific study on this matter has yet to take place. However, significant anecdotal evidence suggests that the judgement and speech processes of people inhaling the spores may often become somewhat impaired. Unlucky victims of the spores' effects have been heard to deleriously ramble, "The Jackhammer needs a buff!" and similar incoherant nonsense.

Spinegrass

Amongst the thin ground cover of Hossin's hilly valleys grow isolated tufts of "Spinegrass". This hardy and prickly perennial grass has few noteworthy qualities excepting that its firm spiney leaves may well be solid enough to cause a Galaxy transport ship to flip over and crash if the ship should come into contact with them.

Chameleon Grass

Much of Hossin's wooded hill country is covered in great swathes of so-called "Chameleon Grass". It is thought that some chemical element within the grass leaves may be a component in the Ancient Vanu's original development of cloaking technology. The peculiar nature of this grass, often noted by n00b snipers using it for cover is that it can only be seen at all from close range and, at a distance, is quite perfectly invisible, providing no cover whatsoever.

Mangrove Tree

Three areas on Hossin, where the ground level sinks below the water table and local hill-runoff feeds into the moist earth, are covered in dense swamps, characterized by the familiar, Earth-like "Mangrove Tree" (known coloquially amongst many combat engineers as the "Spitfire Hidey-Hole Tree")

It is thought that the trees exude some powerful localised magnetic field - due to the flow of Auraxian heavy metals in their sap - that somehow inhibits the successful formation of AMS Cloaking Bubbles.

It has also been commented by several mosquito pilots that this possible field emission appears to grab the well known light scout planes as they afterburn through the swamp and throw them into the ground, causing them explode. Another popular theory about the so-called "flight inhibitance effect" of the Mangrove is that the mosquito pilots that reported it are just morons. Further study may be required.

Hossin Thistle

The prickly Hossin Thistle grows wild across the whole continent and is seen anywhere from the high dry valleys down to the edges of the dark mangrove swamps. The plant appears quite analoguous in form and growth patterns to its Earth-bound cousin although its slightly sturdier thorns are sharp enough to cause significant damage to the paper-armored Harasser light buggy.

Vanu Sovreignity botanists are currently engaged in a continent-wide effort to curb the numbers of this spiney weed with their "Magrider" advanced hover mower but are finding the main gun does too little damage to thoroughly destroy the plants, and they soon grow back (or respawn at a local tower).