Solfronds are considered one of the most ominously harmless sights beneath the Iron Stars. Often described as a 'robotic palm tree,' these are Botnek cell based plants that use various tricks to develop a self-sustaining solar collection system. Solfronds develop as segmented, semi-flexible trunks that support a vast frond canopy that can extend both up and down from the ground surface up to 500 meters in the most extreme species. However, on average this is limited to closer to 50 meters in the cases of exceptional specimens. They grow by expanding and eventually dividing the segments of their trunks, supporting several rings of solar fans-one at each divisional point. This is usually a prime number, with a limit of 13 being the maximum on most species. These broad and expanding fans of solar fronds sprout an upper surface with a surprisingly advanced solar collector cell design, with water funneling capillaries and often air purifiers built into a deep lattice supporting the curved upper collection surface.

Solfronds most often grow in relatively polluted conditions, refining the pollutants to support their growth through their deep tap root and their fronds supporting the catching and distillation of both industrial fogs and groundwater currents. These pollutants-natural or artificial-are used to both help develop the solid structure alongside helping the gestation of thousands of seed-berries for dispersal. In less 'enriched' environments, they will encourage local botnek life to approach and deposit waste nearby to them to act as fertilize to continue to grow. Solfronds commonly use electrolyte sacks of varying types to attract such traffic-in both Organia and Synthesia compatible forms-to commonly crowd around them to 'enrich' their environment. Some rare varieties may adopt predatory strategies in times of utmost need, using various techniques to entrap and directly convert the hapless and unwary to fertilizer for their existence. These varieties often do so by forming semi-concealed collapse pits around the perimeter of the tree's root system in these cases.

A Solfrond develops from what is known as a Solberry. These tend to be hard 5-10 cm wide fruit with a dark hued solar collecting surface with an inner botnek seed cushioned by a dense foam that doubles as a feedstock for the seedling. The outer surface will often unfurl to become a ring-like sail which can catch the wind or snag rough surfaces to carry the seed to more suitable areas. Once established, the sail ring will eventually become the crown ring of a Solfrond's canopy as the seedling extends a taproot to anchor itself.

A Solfrond's trunk will typically consist of an inner spar structure which provides the primary support and bracing to an outer shell, with the points of ring bracing acting as the dividing line for the trunk segments. Within each bracing cell, there will be sacks of a thick nutrient compound enriched from the local environment. In less 'enriched' environments, Solfronds will either adapt to a more Organia-friendly form or perish. Many Solfronds of adapted or unadapted forms develop taps in their lowest segments to ground level which will attract traffic. Others develop through selective breeding or natural selection 'fruits' designed to specifically attract attention, with many developing tastier syrups in their 'Solfruit' to encourage consumption; with some becoming regional delicacies due to the nutrition they can provide. In more industrialized zones, they are instead prized for being able to leach ambient contaminants and concentrate them into both their internal nutrient cells and their fruit. In these cases, these are recovered and 'recycled' into useful feedstocks. It should also be noted that using Solfronds in such a manner is a common method for otherwise seemingly harmless Strip Ops to operate covertly.

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This piece was done for me by the lovely  Dorky.Wolfen as can be found Here! as part of the ongoing Worldipedia Online segment of the Iron Stars Project ( https://www.patreon.com/IronStars )

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Currently, it is planned that I'll be putting up a partial compilation of all developed lore in a 'friendly' PDF for next week's posting upload, stay tuned!