Gigantea

The gigantea is by far the largest and most spectacular tree to grow in the vast jungles of Amarisk on the colony world of Lalonde. A mature gigantea can grow to about 230 metres in height and can have a base of about 45 metres in diameter.

In the endless twilight around the base of a gigantea a huge network of roots can be seen. Resembling coils of intestines, the roots form a wave-like slope, split by deep clefts, as they incline to the vertical and join the trunk of the tree. The bole of a gigantea is shaped like a vast elongated cone, and is covered in a shaggy, hairlike mass of mauve-brown fibres, rather than true bark.

The limbs of a gigantea emerge from its trunk in evenly spaced ring formations, each branch sloping downwards at a fifty-degree angle. From these branches sprout dense, fan-like arrays of twigs. The leaves of the gigantea are a leaden green hue, and cover its upper surfaces; this foliage, at a distance, resembles a coat of dark green fur. The lower branches also support a tangle of vines, creepers and multicoloured flowering plants.

Beneath its hairy, fibrous outer layer, gigantea wood has a pale walnut colour and a widely-spaced grain.

When Laton escaped to Lalonde in 2575, he established his secret base inside the trunk of a mature gigantea tree.