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Golden Spike

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

This average-sized caudiciform grows up to 62 feet (18.9 meters) tall. The thick stem is yellow-green, and is covered in lots of flexible green spines. It has a wavy, very thick, lime trunk atop a very thick platform of smooth, exposed roots. The branches are thick, gnarled and dark red and trail down across the ground.

The rounded-edged, stiff, pointed leaves are light brown and washed-out orange. They are flimsy, and do not detach easily.

It is very fast growing, taking 6 months to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, a handful of flowers, with petals that are dark grey on the underside and gold on the top, grow at the top, reappearing after 5 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is an uncoordinated mess of 13 petals. It has a fairly strong scent that smells like sugar.

The caudiciform's skin is thick, the dark grey flesh is smooth, and the purple sap is thin.

It is frequently struck by lightning.
It only grows on the most fertile lands.
It is suitable for making paper