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This is my first submission here, and I'm somewhat new to this riddle-making thing, so hopefully this proves to be at least somewhat challenging.

I gather light, but cannot see.
I have no lungs, but air I breathe.
I leave my home upon my death.
And countless souls live off my breath.

What am I?

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  • $\begingroup$ My apologies. I've re-titled it based on the suggestion in the meta discussion. $\endgroup$
    – Cubicon
    Apr 30, 2015 at 1:06

3 Answers 3

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The answer is:

A leaf, exactly like Alconja answered but it is the leaf that does the photosynthesis and everything, and only IT leaves the tree when it dies, falling to the ground in autumn (or when the tree dies) : if this is indeed the answer, I would give the correct answer to Alconja, provided it is edited. I didn't look up the answers before answering but it's so similar I feel like I'm cheating someone out of an answer.

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  • $\begingroup$ Doh you answered it before me! I think you are right! $\endgroup$
    – JS1
    Apr 30, 2015 at 1:35
  • $\begingroup$ Good work! I have to give it to you as you're the only one who guessed the correct answer so far. $\endgroup$
    – Cubicon
    Apr 30, 2015 at 1:39
  • $\begingroup$ For what it's worth, I'm happy for you to get the tick. It was fairly straight forward to land in the ball park, so I don't doubt you got there without looking, and your answer is clearly the (slightly more) correct one. $\endgroup$
    – Alconja
    Apr 30, 2015 at 2:53
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The answer is:

a tree

I gather light, but cannot see.

Photosynthesis

I have no lungs, but air I breathe. 

Trees "breathe" by absorbing CO2 and releasing O2

I leave my home upon my death. 

People use the timber after the tree dies

And countless souls live off my breath.

Animals (including us) needed the oxygen trees produce

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  • $\begingroup$ People can use it as timber, but that isn't guaranteed. So after a tree dies, it wouldn't necessarily leave (and indeed, deep in large forests this would be unlikely). $\endgroup$
    – Cubicon
    Apr 29, 2015 at 23:32
  • $\begingroup$ @Cubicon - are you saying this answer is wrong? Or just that my interpretation of that specific clue is not what you intended? $\endgroup$
    – Alconja
    Apr 29, 2015 at 23:40
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    $\begingroup$ Your answer is incorrect, but close. The clues are intended to hold in all cases. $\endgroup$
    – Cubicon
    Apr 29, 2015 at 23:42
  • $\begingroup$ @Alconja - It's also the case that you interpreted the clue not how I intended, though it's a creative interpretation. In any case, I suppose there are specific circumstances where the clue may not hold, but it's generally held to be true. $\endgroup$
    – Cubicon
    Apr 30, 2015 at 1:01
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    $\begingroup$ @Cubicon I'd of said just a plant. With these comments I'd change it to a tumbleweed. Then I'd pedantically point out that [they] don't "die"; they desiccate and fall off. But of course a good riddle uses poetic license, so no foul here. $\endgroup$
    – Mazura
    Apr 30, 2015 at 2:46
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Can it be a

Christmas tree?

Same reasons mentioned by Alconja, except for the following:

I leave my home upon my death.

christmas trees are cut to be sell thus when they die, they are leaving their forest

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  • $\begingroup$ I would say that it's not the answer I intended, but it does indeed fit. I'll see if anyone else can find the intended solution before marking this as the answer. $\endgroup$
    – Cubicon
    Apr 30, 2015 at 1:03

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