Needle Grass and Bayard
The dominant flora on Bayard is what the colonists have come to refer to as needle grass--a term that covers a broad category of thin, tubular short "grasses" that have evolved into nearly every biome on Bayard. Needle grass is more akin to Terran fungus in the clavulinopsis genus.
Needle grass typically grows 3-4 inches tall and comes in a variety of shades from grey to green to brown. The grass requires organic material on which to feed, though it can be of very little amount--ask any number of colonists who have found clumps of the grass growing on the spaces between tiles.
Needle grass is noted for it's vibrant hues as the close of the day cycle ends on Bayard. Approximately 48 hours before sunset, needle grass transforms to bright, vivid colors--reds, yellows, and oranges in particular. The whole of Bayard becomes resplendent with those vivid colors. At the end of that 48 hours, the individual clumps eject spores, and the grass returns to its normal coloring.
Needle grass is inedible to humans and Terran animals. Several corporations in Varennes and Ishonodu have developed anti-fungals that are applied to new farms to rid the area of the grass. These are applied after the creation of the overarching dome. Nonetheless, needle grass is persistent, and the spores can reside for years dormant.
The lone area where needle grass has not found a way to thrive is in the deserts of Bayard. The composition of the sands seems antithetical to needle grass growth (and to Terran flora as well).
Needle grass typically grows 3-4 inches tall and comes in a variety of shades from grey to green to brown. The grass requires organic material on which to feed, though it can be of very little amount--ask any number of colonists who have found clumps of the grass growing on the spaces between tiles.
Needle grass is noted for it's vibrant hues as the close of the day cycle ends on Bayard. Approximately 48 hours before sunset, needle grass transforms to bright, vivid colors--reds, yellows, and oranges in particular. The whole of Bayard becomes resplendent with those vivid colors. At the end of that 48 hours, the individual clumps eject spores, and the grass returns to its normal coloring.
Needle grass is inedible to humans and Terran animals. Several corporations in Varennes and Ishonodu have developed anti-fungals that are applied to new farms to rid the area of the grass. These are applied after the creation of the overarching dome. Nonetheless, needle grass is persistent, and the spores can reside for years dormant.
The lone area where needle grass has not found a way to thrive is in the deserts of Bayard. The composition of the sands seems antithetical to needle grass growth (and to Terran flora as well).
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