Bloodvine

This short caudiciform grows up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) tall. The thin stem is emerald, and is covered in brittle caramel spines. It has a curved, thick, gnarled, lime trunk atop a stumpy block of rough, exposed roots. The branches are wide and gray and trail down to the ground.

The ripped-edged, circular leaves are blood red and lilac. They are rigid, and easily come away when pulled.

It is slow growing, taking 50 years to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, a handful of flowers, with petals that are hazel at the sides and purple at the center, grow at the top, reappearing after 2 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is shaped like a cup made up of handfuls of widely spaced, round-tipped petals. It has the faintest scent that smells like fish.

The caudiciform's skin is thick, the bronze flesh is smooth, and the intense orange sap is thin.