Spiny Shieldplant

This small caudiciform grows up to 3 feet (91.4 cm) tall. The very narrow, elongated stem is emerald, and is covered in thousands of flexible brilliant yellow spines. It has a straight, round, yellow trunk atop a round web of knobbly, exposed roots. The branches are very thick and red and are short and thin.

The rounded-edged, shield-shaped leaves are black on the edges and green at the center. They are frail, and do not detach easily.

It is steady-growing, taking 16 months to reach maturity. Once mature, several flowers with vivid yellow petals and a turquoise central disk grow at the top, reappearing every year. The flower head is made up of several petals; the lower layer of petals are flat, while the upper layers form a tight cube. It has a soft scent that smells like rotting meat.

The caudiciform's skin is nearly impenetrable, the turquoise flesh is leathery, and the faded purple sap is thin.