Hellfire Pine
The so-called “Hellfire Pine” is a type of tree found in the forests of Eden. Known for its tall crown and fire-activated seeds, this pyrophytic evergreen is also famous for its nigh-indestructible wood—a prized material which was used to build The Strumpet’s Sister.
Basic Information
Anatomy
An adult Hellfire Pine is characterized by a wide umbrella-like crown sitting high atop a tall, thick trunk. The reddish bark is also thick, with deep vertical fissures—a distinctive pattern that some Edenites call “the tears of the tree.”
In its youth, the Hellfire Pine’s canopy is far more irregular—the staggered heights of the thing reminding some of a lit torch.
Genetics and Reproduction
Much like Earth-native species such as the lodgepole pine and the Eucalyptus, the Hellfire Pine requires the high temperatures of a raging fire for its seeds to sprout. This is because of the serotinous cone the tree produces, which is completely sealed with resin—resin so stubborn and impregnable that even the flow of lava sometimes isn’t enough to melt it.
This makes the planting of a new Hellfire Pine forest a most precarious proposition. Though the potential reward in super-strong hellfire wood is too much for many Edenites to resist, many a cultivator has gone broke trying to plant cones that just refused to be prized open.
Ecology and Habitats
The Hellfire Pine is distinct for being the one plant species native to Eden—all other species having originated on some other world prior to the Calamity. And while the tree can flourish in any biome found here—even The Desert at the Edge of Existence—the Hellfire Pine is notable for never having been successfully introduced to a world outside of Eden. The cones, everlasting in every other context, cannot survive transport through the Veil of the World or through any of the doorways inside the Strumpet’s Sister.
And so, this tree only gets to exist in the world between worlds.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The tree requires very little water, relying mostly on rain and other forms of precipitation to quench its thirst—its roots strangely avoiding rivers whenever possible. But it does rely heavily on the rays of the sun, the overcast sections of Oz and some of The Reek’s smoggier cities being the only places where the Hellfire Pine truly struggles to take hold.
Cool tree and nice article! I like all of your pictures making the trees appear on fire :D Some notes I took while reading: Very minor problem, but from the introduction I thought there was only one specimen of your tree in your world (I think it's because I've read other articles where it was the case). You could say "type of trees" instead of "a tree" if you want to, but other people probably won't have the same problem. A minor suggestion: you could add the picture showing the different type of conservation status and highlighting which one is conservation dependent? I didn't know which one that was, so I had to look it up. I like that the cone can even resist lava! So after reading your article I'm wondering how common your tree is in this world and how it get to reproduce. After volcanic eruptions? Are they common? You could also expand on the problem of people struggling to plant a forest and let the trees grow enough to reproduce, while they could get quick money by cutting it off. That must not help with the conservation status of the tree! You could also add examples of what people have done to try to get the cones to open, maybe even as a quote as I'm sure there is some interesting stories there :D
Good note about the introduction. I've just fixed that. As for expanding on stuff, I tend to leave a little more to the imagination than most. But it's also the case with this thing that I just don't know yet. I plan to expand more later. At any rate, thanks for taking the time to read it and comment!