Podclaw
Common Name[]
Podclaw
Scientific Name[]
Cystunguis artocosica
Description[]
This photobiont has a waxy coat - probably to prevent water loss - and a compact structure that maximizes volume and minimizes surface area. It has white 'feathers' - a contrast to the orange we see on other species, possibly because it's pollinated by something else, or possibly because color is a side effect of a chemical that serves an unknown purpose in metabolism, or if the feather itself is covered with wax or tiny fine hairs. --Jane Van Susteren, Exobiology Lead