From publisher blurb: Blood Kaktos (Carnegiea succo) The blood kaktos, Carnegiea succo, is a motile, sentient arborescent plant that inhabits any warm, sandy environment. It is a relative of the common saguaro cactus and has leathery green flesh covered with needle-like spines, with two jointed, branch-like arms sprouting from a large trunk that grows to between 5–7 feet tall upon maturity. The top of the trunk is usually rounded and called a crown, but in rare cases, the top fans out in a cristate formation containing multiple small crowns. A slot in the lower third of the trunk allows for a proboscis to be extended and retracted. The proboscis, a large specialized spine attached to the trunk by a pulsating veiny vine, is used for anesthetizing and sucking the blood of usually unaware victims.