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Breathweed

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Breathweed[1]

Breathweed (Parasitus Respirare) is a type of organism found on Catachan.[1]

It is unclear if Breathweed is a plant or fungus, but it is known to grow on the side of tree trunks and resemble a vine. If something brushes against the weed, it dissolves into a cloud of airborne spores which if inhaled, will attached itself to the tongue. At this stage it appears no more than a small blister, but left alone for a day or two it will absorb into the tongue and vanish from sight. Over the subsequent weeks the spore eats the tongue from the inside, growing until it has eventually taken the place of the hosts original tongue. The host has no idea the tongue itself is a growing parasite that absorbs more nutrients that pass over it while producing more spores. The host gradually wastes away and dies; and as they take their final breath the pseudo-tongue dissolves, releasing spores it has grown to seed new weeds.[1]

Trivia

Breathweed may be inspired by Cymothoa exigua, a parasitic isopod which attaches to a fish's tongue and eventually replaces it.

Sources