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Description
Originally on the Frog Planet there were no woody plants, it was all just herbaceous legumes and grasses. Wood in many different unrelated genera as a response to competition for resources, as a sturdy woody stems would allow the plant to not die back during the winter/drought and grow taller than its neighbors. Eventually trees and shrubbery would begin to dominate the world's ecosystem, especially because there were no large grazers to keep them in check. Herbivorous insects that ate leaves and larvae that ate wood were helpful but they were not fast or effective enough, so instead gigantic wildfires would occur every few years, sometimes even burning across entire continents. This was necessary to keep an equilibrium in the environment because the trees would shade out other plants and suck up water, converting wetlands and ponds into dry land.

1. This is a legume tree evolved from something like a clover. By our standards this is a true tree because it is capable of increasing in diameter throughout its life. The cambium layer does this by annually growing new xylem and phloem layers while the older ones die. If you were to make a cut into the bark it would scar and heal. This legume tree only serves as an example to compare with all the other trees evolved from grass.

2. This "tree" is actually a type of grass, and all the next trees on the chart will be too. This particular tree grows upward through thatch layers produced by the grass. The grass grows rhizomes and roots throughout this layer to hold it together. Several large vertical roots form the backbone while smaller horizontal roots form a dense matrix throughout the dead stems and leaves. This tree is a common pioneer species but due to its suspectibility to fire, mature trees usually only occur in either jungles or places like desert oases. The roots secrete a poisonous substance that prevents pests while also killing competiting plants nearby.

3. Instead of growing through dead growth like the previous tree, this grass has a large rhizome that grows out of the ground to form the trunk. They are quite resistant to fire due to their moisture content so they are quite common even though they grow slowly. Another thing to note is that the prominent flowers as a result of no longer relying on wind pollination, instead needing to attract insects with bright colors and nectar to spread their pollen. Fruit has still not evolved on the Frog Planet because there are no animals to eat them and spread them yet.

4. This is a triangular bamboo that occurs in the old growth jungles that are found along the wet equator. It is at first a prioneer species that grows as a relatively short plant in the full sun, but once other trees grow over and cast shade it then sends out extremely tall shoots to break through the canopy and open up like umbrellas above them all. While the triangular shape provides strength for great height it still needs to rely on the surronding trees to provide support from wind. Of course the normal circular bamboo has also evolved in different species but they do not get this tall.

5. This is a sort of grass that grows from a pseudostem, a structure formed by tightly rolled leaves. It is not truly woody but because it grows tall enough it is still called a tree. The rhizome does not spread but instead is in the form of a large bulb. In the growing season it sends up a single large shoot that starts unfurling its leaves once it reaches a certain height. The older leaves near the base eventually start to die off but the shoot in the middle stays alive. This grass grows fast but does not live too long because the annual dying and regrowing uses up a lot of its nutrients, but they have the advantage of getting rid of fungal and insect problems every winter when the above ground dies. In tropical places they can grow year round, but there they have to deal with those afformentioned problems.

6. This grass is similar to #3, but instead of having the rhizome branch off they instead grow from the base very closely to the original plant. Eventually they fuse together and create a, extremely thick trunk that allows them to store lots of water and nutrients, so this type of grass tree is common in places like deserts. While long lived, the older plants in the middle start to die off and decompose while the outer plants keep growing, creating a sort of bowl that fills up with water when it rains. This bowl is capable of supporting a very diverse ecosystem in an otherwise barren and dry place.

7. This grass is also similar to #3 and #6, but instead its offshoots grow towards the ground and anchor themselves in the soil. This creates stilts that supports the plants, allowing them to grow thinner and taller without falling over. Eventually the offshoots create their own offshoots and forms a labyrinth of roots and trees that would be near impenetrable and frustrating for a human to navigate with the constant ducking and jumping over roots. They typically form the understory in jungles, with the large leaves soaking up any bit of sunlight that breaks through. The connected rhizomes also allows them to share nutrients between each other so a colony can grow even in full shade. They are also long lived, biding their time for the legume trees to eventually die and giant bamboos to collapse so they can have the sun to themselves, at least for a little bit until the other trees start to grow again.

Description
Originally on the Frog Planet there were no woody plants, it was all just herbaceous legumes and grasses. Wood in many different unrelated genera as a response to competition for resources, as a sturdy woody stems would allow the plant to not die back during the winter/drought and grow taller than its neighbors. Eventually trees and shrubbery would begin to dominate the world's ecosystem, especially because there were no large grazers to keep them in check. Herbivorous insects that ate leaves and larvae that ate wood were helpful but they were not fast or effective enough, so instead gigantic wildfires would occur every few years, sometimes even burning across entire continents. This was necessary to keep an equilibrium in the environment because the trees would shade out other plants and suck up water, converting wetlands and ponds into dry land.

1. This is a legume tree evolved from something like a clover. By our standards this is a true tree because it is capable of increasing in diameter throughout its life. The cambium layer does this by annually growing new xylem and phloem layers while the older ones die. If you were to make a cut into the bark it would scar and heal. This legume tree only serves as an example to compare with all the other trees evolved from grass.

2. This "tree" is actually a type of grass, and all the next trees on the chart will be too. This particular tree grows upward through thatch layers produced by the grass. The grass grows rhizomes and roots throughout this layer to hold it together. Several large vertical roots form the backbone while smaller horizontal roots form a dense matrix throughout the dead stems and leaves. This tree is a common pioneer species but due to its suspectibility to fire, mature trees usually only occur in either jungles or places like desert oases. The roots secrete a poisonous substance that prevents pests while also killing competiting plants nearby.

3. Instead of growing through dead growth like the previous tree, this grass has a large rhizome that grows out of the ground to form the trunk. They are quite resistant to fire due to their moisture content so they are quite common even though they grow slowly. Another thing to note is that the prominent flowers as a result of no longer relying on wind pollination, instead needing to attract insects with bright colors and nectar to spread their pollen. Fruit has still not evolved on the Frog Planet because there are no animals to eat them and spread them yet.

4. This is a triangular bamboo that occurs in the old growth jungles that are found along the wet equator. It is at first a prioneer species that grows as a relatively short plant in the full sun, but once other trees grow over and cast shade it then sends out extremely tall shoots to break through the canopy and open up like umbrellas above them all. While the triangular shape provides strength for great height it still needs to rely on the surronding trees to provide support from wind. Of course the normal circular bamboo has also evolved in different species but they do not get this tall.

5. This is a sort of grass that grows from a pseudostem, a structure formed by tightly rolled leaves. It is not truly woody but because it grows tall enough it is still called a tree. The rhizome does not spread but instead is in the form of a large bulb. In the growing season it sends up a single large shoot that starts unfurling its leaves once it reaches a certain height. The older leaves near the base eventually start to die off but the shoot in the middle stays alive. This grass grows fast but does not live too long because the annual dying and regrowing uses up a lot of its nutrients, but they have the advantage of getting rid of fungal and insect problems every winter when the above ground dies. In tropical places they can grow year round, but there they have to deal with those afformentioned problems.

6. This grass is similar to #3, but instead of having the rhizome branch off they instead grow from the base very closely to the original plant. Eventually they fuse together and create a, extremely thick trunk that allows them to store lots of water and nutrients, so this type of grass tree is common in places like deserts. While long lived, the older plants in the middle start to die off and decompose while the outer plants keep growing, creating a sort of bowl that fills up with water when it rains. This bowl is capable of supporting a very diverse ecosystem in an otherwise barren and dry place.

7. This grass is also similar to #3 and #6, but instead its offshoots grow towards the ground and anchor themselves in the soil. This creates stilts that supports the plants, allowing them to grow thinner and taller without falling over. Eventually the offshoots create their own offshoots and forms a labyrinth of roots and trees that would be near impenetrable and frustrating for a human to navigate with the constant ducking and jumping over roots. They typically form the understory in jungles, with the large leaves soaking up any bit of sunlight that breaks through. The connected rhizomes also allows them to share nutrients between each other so a colony can grow even in full shade. They are also long lived, biding their time for the legume trees to eventually die and giant bamboos to collapse so they can have the sun to themselves, at least for a little bit until the other trees start to grow again.