The Na’vi use many parts of the delta tree, although harvesting them can be quite dangerous. Large stems are cleaned of their spines and carved into elaborate totems, while small stems are used to make walking sticks. Na’vi carvers sometimes leave a few clusters of spines near the bottom of a walking stick to give it dual purpose—taking a walk and snagging a small animal for dinner at the same time.
Like many plant metabolic compounds, the toxin found in leaves of the delta tree serves as a defense against herbivores that would eat the fleshy leaves to obtain water. The Na’vi have learned to strip off the lower leaf epidermis, which contains the poison glands, and harvest the tasty insides of the leaves. The non-poisonous prop roots are peeled, ground up, and used for flour in cooking.
Like many plant metabolic compounds, the toxin found in leaves of the delta tree serves as a defense against herbivores that would eat the fleshy leaves to obtain water. The Na’vi have learned to strip off the lower leaf epidermis, which contains the poison glands, and harvest the tasty insides of the leaves. The non-poisonous prop roots are peeled, ground up, and used for flour in cooking.
