Submission (#5735) Approved

While Ealei boasts no shores or soil, plants still thrive in this wonder of a land.  Nestled on the rugged and weathered rocks that defiantly emerge from the relentless ocean waves that border the region and, occasionally, cradle strong twisting trees, a small botanical wonder can be found thriving.  Its unremarkable nature has earned it many names before scholars identified them as the same species: mist grass, foam grass, rock weed, sea grass, and even more poetic names such as seamarassia or rockemerald, though these are less widely spread.  The rock weed, as it’s commonly called, is uniquely adapted to the harshest of coastal environments, and even seems to prefer the sea air and water beneath.

The rock weed displays an enchanting tapestry of delicate, near emerald-green blades, which resemble the miniature blades of a seaweed.  It boasts a vibrant hue that reflects the light of the sun.  Each blade or leaf is no longer than the width of a human finger, and is adorned with fine, translucent hairs that glisten with the ocean spray.

This remarkable species of plant possesses a series of extraordinary adaptations that allow it to call the rocky terrain its home.  Its root system intertwines with the porous surface of rocks as they are worn away by the ocean water, oftentimes digging deep within the rock to both sustain the waves and obtain its substance.  It is generally thought that the rock weed is also capable of absorbing moisture from the ocean mist, which allows them to extract other necessary nutrients from the air, as they are abundant in the mistiest parts of Ealei, cradled by the sea.

Despite its diminutive size, scholars believe the rock weed may play a vital role in the coastal ecosystems that border Ealei.  It acts as a natural stabilizer, firmly anchoring rocks against the relentless waves.  Its interwoven root system has been found to create a protective layer that buffers the rocks from erosion.  Some scholars have even suggested that the small residual grass might have been crucial in shaping some of Ealei’s most distinctive ecosystems.