The location of Phylos in "The Explored Galaxy" wall chart
Phylos was an inhabited planet in the Alpha Quadrant. The atmosphere was capable of supporting humanoid life-forms. This planet was located in the periphery of the Milky Way Galaxy. (TAS: "The Infinite Vulcan") The location of the planet in the Milky Way Galaxy was depicted on a Federation star chart in 2293. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, production art)
History
Phylos was a unique planet in that it had developed several species of mobile intelligent plant life. One of these species, known as the Phylosians, had evolved into a technologically-advanced interstellar civilization. The Phylosians had set about the task of enforcing peace in the Milky Way Galaxy. They had built an armada of large Phylosian starships and intended to use them for this task.
Phylos was discovered by a clone of Stavos Keniclius some time after hostilities with Humans and the Klingons began but before the United Federation of Planets was founded. The clone brought a strain of staphylococcus bacteria to the ecosystem of the planet. The plague decimated the Phylosian race and destroyed the spore cells of the survivors, leaving them unable to reproduce. The clone remained on the planet to keep the Phylosians alive and to acquire a specimen to clone as crew for the Phylosian fleet.
In 2269, Phylos was discovered by the Federation. On stardate 5554.4, the USS Enterprise, commanded by Captain James T. Kirk, arrived to survey the planet. When the Phylosians and the fifth clone of Keniclius were informed that the Federation had already established peace, they were free to focus on the problem of saving the Phylosian species. A clone of Spock also remained behind to help Keniclius with this task. (TAS: "The Infinite Vulcan")
Native plant species
- Swooper, a flying plant species
- Phylosian, a sentient plant species
- Retlaw plant, a mobile plant species