Death Blooms

Biology 

Deprived of access to sunlight by the giant trees that dominate the rainforest canopy, Death Blooms have evolved to become a parasitic species. They sustain themselves by wrapping their tendrils around the large types of trees with the banyan usually being their preferred host. Once this has been accomplished, the Death Bloom begins to leach vital nutrients from its host, eventually reducing the tree to a shriveled husk. Occasionally, Death Blossom seedlings may be dispersed to durian orchards where they may destroy prized fruit trees, resulting in a substantial economic loss for the plantation owner.  

During the monsoon season, the Death Bloom produces thousands of minute seeds. These are scattered across a vast distance by the powerful storm winds that rip through the forest. Encased in a thin and light but extremely durable pod, the seeds are protected from all but the worst buffeting. Once the pod has landed on moist soil, a seedling emerges from it and extends out a tendril, seeking the nearest suitable host. When it finds one, the Death Bloom seedling begins the process of wrapping itself around the tree it has selected. For this reason, plantation workers often scour their orchards in search of this noxious invader, seeking to destroy it.   

But there is another more sinister reason for this plant's name. Sometimes a Death Bloom seedling may wind up being deposited in a part of the rainforest where the soil is too leached of nutrients to sustain the massive trees required for this plant's long-term survival.   In a situation such as this, the Death Bloom will barely sustain itself by parasitizing off the marginal shrubs that can survive in such conditions.  However, in order to ensure that it obtains the sufficient nutrition required to propagate new seeds, the Death Bloom will also prey on small animals such as insects or reptiles that wander within the reach of its tendrils. 

To prevent the prey from struggling free, the Death Bloom exudes pheromones that lull its intended victim into a state of drowsiness that dulls the animal's nervous system and pain receptors, leaving it oblivious to the fact that it's slowly being absorbed into the plant's digestive system. After leaching the prey of its nutrients, the Death Bloom excretes the animal's bones or exoskeleton.  For this reason, bones can sometimes be seen littered around the roots of a Death Bloom. 

 Popular culture

Rumors abound about extraordinarily large Death Blooms that are capable of devouring human sized beings. For this reason, superstitious villagers either give these plants a wide berth or leave them offerings of live chickens to placate the spirits reputed to inhabit the Death Bloom.