Massassi trees tower above most of their forest brethren, being capable of growing to heights exceeding two hundred metres. The thick, purple barked trunks can be more than fifteen metres across and support massive crowns of pinnately compound, spatulate leaves that can be fifty or more metres in diameter. Such luxuriant growth is needed in order to ensure there is enough leaf surface for transpiration and to pull water and nutrients up from the roots two hundred metres below. The trees are so large they sport entire ecosystems along the trunks and within their crowns. Apart from housing other plants such as epiphytes and climbing ferns, they also house huge numbers of insects and birds, as well as larger animals such as woolamanders and stintarils. The Massassi trees are named after the Massassi species, warriors who built massive stone temples on Yavin 4 five thousand years BCGT and have since totally disappeared.