The hookagourd (Na'vi name: txll'u) is a hollow urn-shaped carnivorous plant that is found on Pandora.
Anatomy[]
The hookagourd is a plump plant with a wide base. The plant has skinny branches that protrude from the base. On the tip of each branch lies a flower with a strong fragrance and an abundant nectar that attracts the unsuspecting prey.
Size comparison to a Na'vi
Reproduction[]
In order to reproduce, its branches on the plants' body enlarge at the base and eventually break off. The fallen branches form new plants when they root on the ground.
Feeding method[]
The hookagourd traps and digests birds and small animals to obtain nutrients, which are needed since it has a small root system incapable of sustaining the plant by itself. Once an animal lands on the flower, it crawls deeper into the tubular stem to obtain nectar and is unable to exit due to stiff, downward pointing hairs. It then dies and is then digested. The base of the branches then fill up with the organic matter of the digested animal.
Ecology[]
Seen at Avatar: The Exhibition
The Na'vi harvest the branches of the hookagourd to carve out bowls and jars for domestic use. The large basal "gourd" is left intact to grow new branches, thus making the plant a natural factory for production of usable products. Human botanists on Pandora have discovered that the plants can be manipulated to produce matching sets of bowls if all branches are fed animals simultaneously. These Pandoran rarities are extremely valuable on Earth. Several have found their way into museums or private collections of RDA executives.
Gallery[]
Source[]
- James Cameron's Avatar: The Game - Ingame Pandorapedia
- James Cameron's Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide - pg 132
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