[hombre_fatal]

I'd definitely consider them spike-covered, though so densely packed it's perhaps not so defining.

But their mass and weight sure set them apart! They grow so god damn big it's awe-inspiring to see them on trees along side of the road or beach. As if they are the cocoons of a giant jurassic-era butterfly.

Hard not to wonder how many small animals must have been obliterated by one falling from the tree.

But also how amazing it must have been for an early human or settler to find one in the wild. The amount of fruit you can harvest from one is incredible. Thankfully people would collect them, pluck out all the meat "nodes", and sell them in little bags of 4-6 nodules. I could never eat more than 4 nodules without rummaging for something else in the pantry, they're quite boring.

[vram22]

Good points and analogy :)

The last paragraph reminds me of novels like The Swiss Family Robinson and Robinson Crusoe, which were fun reading while growing up.