The Fedumilin Tree

On some far off moon, there grows a very typical kind of tree, which bears perhaps the most spectacular of all fruits.

Late in the year when it gets cold the fruit opens, often on the day of the first snowfall. It's small enough to wrap your hand around, and starts off with a thin yellowish outer membrane. The fruit swells the membrane splits and out unfolds what appears to be a small flying animal.

The Fedumilin has three leafy wings and up to a dozen simple eyes for navigation. Shortly after opening it animates and begins flapping its wings furiously in an attempt to fly. It is bound by a flexible stem 11 to 14 centimeters long. After a few minutes of thrashing, it pulls itself free and flies off in whatever direction it was pointed at the time.

It is a seed evolved to spread itself over a wide geographic area. It fights the winds and maintains its course by the light of the sun. It can go tens of kilometers before tapping out the energy it has stored for flying. Eventually its efforts become feeble, and it crashes into the snow. There its simple reflexive control system stops it. When the snow finally thaws there will be the beginnings of a Fedumilin tree, with already budding leaves.