Bob

One of Populus' first primitive plants to adapt to life on land was the Squinod. This very successful water plant washed up on nearly all of Populus' shores, and it was eventually able to adapt to survive in many different locations. These early Squinods were forced to adapt to periods without water and the effects of direct sunlight that all land plants have to deal with.

One of the first successful land plants on Populus was the Dendron Shoot. This plant's simple design and small size helped it to flourish on the primitive landscapes of Populus' coasts. This plant's key evolutionary trait was its shoot or stalk, which was made of a spongy material. This material was able to absorb and hold water for long periods of time. This trait allowed the Denron Shoot to move inland relatively quickly and establish itself in a wide variety of areas. The average Dendron shoot was about 8 inches in height.

The Dendron Shoots that made it into the desert made several adaptations in order to survive in this environment. The most obvious of the adaptations was the size of its stem. The stem of the Desert Prickle can swell to an enormous size. The stem can also "deflate" in times of drought. Another adaptation of the Desert Prickle are the thorns or prickles, that grow on the outside of the stem. The thorns are a means of both warding off predators and dissipating heat on the plants surface. The Desert Prickle is the closest modern relative of the original Dendron. They usually grow to a height of about 18 inches.

The Doto is, by far, the largest of the Dendrons. In fact, it is so much larger than the early Dendrons, that it is hard to believe that they are actually related. Dotos have grown to such an enormous height in order to compete with the other large plants growing in the rainforest. Aside from its height, the Doto also developed very thick and rubbery "skin" in order to prevent other organisms from harming it. It also adapted to live longer, so that it could grow taller and out-compete the other plants or trees around it. The Doto is well know on Populus for the bright purple fruit that appear on the plant during the spring. The seeds of the Doto are found in the fruit and the Doto relies on the fact that the seeds will be spread far and wide by those organisms which consume the fruit. Dotos can grow to a height of over 75 feet.

The Dito is a plant that is fairly similar to the Doto. The main differences are the fact that it is a much shorter and sturdier plant. This is due to the fact that Ditos do not always grow in large groups, so they must be able to stand up to the strong winds that often characterize their environment. The Dito also bears fruit, but the fruit is much smaller due to the shorter growing season in the temperate forests. As you can see, the Dito is also more compact and aerodynamic than the Doto. Ditos usually grow to a height of about 15 feet.

In the grasslands, the Dendron grew into a long, thin, grass-like plant. The plant needs to be tall in order to compete for light with the many other species of grass that inhabit the grasslands. The blooming Dendron also developed flowers that omit a strong fragrance in order to lure organisms to the flowers for pollination. In some areas, the Blooming Dendrons can grow as high as 4 feet tall.

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