Flora

This page will describe unique plants and fungi in the Pentagonal Dominion. I am considering 'fungi’ to be flora for the purpose of this page. There is also a species of people called the Flora.

Purples: A ‘purple’ tree produces green leaves like a normal tree, and white flower blossoms. They get their name from their fruit, called a ‘purple’, which resembles an orange (note that ‘oranges’ as we know them do not exist in the Pentagonal Dominion). Purples have a similar texture to oranges, but taste sweeter. They can also be fermented into a wine they call ‘purple elephants’ or used to flavor rice wine in a drink called ‘murasake.’

Glowlight lotus: A climbing vine that can grow hundreds of feet long. Pink lotuses blossom along the vine. The lotuses have a central bulb which exudes light. Glowlight lotuses are an extremely common source of light, as they are cheaper than crystalights and will grow just about anywhere they’ve been planted. The vines can also be encouraged to grow in certain ways such as up a pillar or across a veranda.

Angel’s lips: A pink bellflower with ends resembling thick lips. The flower is enchanted with Wind elementrons that convert CO2 to O2 the same rate as a person breathing into it. Essentially, a person can breathe forever with just an angel’s lips. Used in places where oxygen supply is limited. Odonata carrying passengers keep angel’s lips inside their abdomens. Regarding the name, ‘angels’ do not exist in this timeline, but the flower was brought from a timeline that did. Angels are the Good element equivalent of demons.

Lalafina: multi-colored pastel flowers. Not special, but unique to my world, and the theme of Cherribell’s throne.

Harush: A pine tree with curved, dangerous needles. The pinecones are delicious, especially to Yosoe and herbivorous species.

Salka: A plant that requires constant light. Usually grows in the light of a glowlight lotus, or on the Eversun Hills and Wynndalic Plains. Leaves are edible to herbivores. It has a complex rhizome system and the nodules are enchanted with Stone elementrons that create nitrogen. In places that can grow salka, it’s a great way to add nitrogen to a field. In the 3-field crop rotation system, a fallow field can instead be planted with salka.

Kuori: A very large yellow fruit, bigger than a watermelon. It grows on a thick stalk which then protects the fruit in a leafy chaff. It’s sweet, but also tart, similar to some apples.

Kehuberries: tiny and extremely sour yellow berries. Kids play a game out of seeing if they can handle eating a mouthful of them. Can be infused in alcohol to make a drink called a ‘sunburst’ named for how brightly yellow it is.

Cherish cherries: Grown from a cherry tree cultivar that was genetically modified by the Godblood Cherish Vellacoppavo (a.k.a. Cherish the Monster, a eugenicist) to produce both beautiful sakura blossoms and thick, full red cherries. In her experiments to create a cherry that would sterilize people, she accidentally created a powerful anesthesia. Ingesting even a small amount of the cherry’s juices will knock a person out for a day.

Nanaru’s momiji: Grown from a maple tree cultivar that was genetically modified by the Godblood Nanaru Vellacoppavo (a.k.a. St. Nanaru, a healer) to produce both beautiful red momiji leaves and a delicious syrup. In her experiments to make a syrup that would strengthen people, she accidentally made it *only* strengthen women (and make them aggressive) while also making men weak, obedient, and sleepy. Over time, it also destroys reproductive capabilities. Ophidians who do not intend to breed their slaves will give them Nanaru’s syrup to make them more compliant.

Nanaru’s flax: Flax that was genetically modified to hold Fire elementrons. When made into linen, it becomes iridescent fabric called seven-color cloth which is completely immune to fire. Heretics who have lost Flamboil’s Blessing use seven-color cloth when handling hot objects.

Sweet wheat: Not much different than Terran wheat, but the taste is much sweeter. Sweet wheat (commonly just called swheat) is a staple of the Winyans who are known for their love of sugar.

Lucognidus flower: A purple higanbana enchanted with Mind elementrons. Ingesting the acid inside the tips of the petals induces pleasant hallucinations. Used in Mind elemental rituals for the Star Carnival/Higanbana Night. The flower only grows for around a week in autumn.

Blue potatoes: a potato which is blue on the inside. Producing Ice elementrons, they are resistant to cold and grow in the cold, northern region of Aloutia known as Ruomi. The Ruomalaiset eat blue potatoes in a variety of ways and also distill it with grains into viina, an alcohol which could politely be described as ‘an acquired taste.’

Kyamo: A culinary herb. It’s enchanted with Lightning elementrons and is often more tasty to Lightning elemental people. It can also be brewed into a medicine that helps repair nerve damage.

Ebonwood: completely black trees: black leaves, black wood. They absorb every color of light from the spectrum. The leaves are enchanted by Ice elementrons that cool the tree down from overheating. The leaves can also be used as a soothing/cooling agent. The wood is popular for use in making furniture.

Hippocampus barley: red seaweed growing in the oceans of Blue Home, Aloutia, and the Makai. Some ‘leaves’ are lined with seeds that resemble barley in appearance and even taste. One of the most common types of edible seaweed and the primary fodder for hippocampi (mermaid-horses).

Fomala fingers: Green seaweed that grows in groups of six strands, thus resembling the hand of a Foma (Fomala is a female Foma).

Some fun fungus found in the shroomeries:

Summershade amanita: Huge mushroom with a red cap with white spots. Big enough to make a cozy little house out of it.

Wintershade amanita: Huge mushroom with a blue cap with purple spots. Big enough to make a cozy little house out of it

Grave bolete: A house-sized mushroom enchanted with Death elementrons. It smells terrible to most species, though Dipterans and Hemipterans like it and use it in their cooking. Prior to the ascension of the Death God Sawyer and the sawdusting ceremony, dead bodies would often be buried under a grave bolete as it would quickly decompose it. In the current era, most people associate the word ‘grave’ strictly with this mushroom and no longer remember that it was once a word related to dead bodies.

Yetrian umbrella: A black mushroom with a ‘lacy’ cap. Approximately as tall as a human.

Neuropteran shield: A mushroom with a cap that has psychedelic patterns and colors. It’s also hard as steel. As its name suggests, it is indeed used as a shield, though not just by Neuropterans (that part of the name comes from the fact that its patterns look like Neuropteran wings). It will decay eventually after being cut off its stem, though, so it’s no permanent replacement for real shields.

Balloonshroom: several species of mushroom of varying colors, usually matching that of their respective shroomery. They are tethered to the ground by a thin stalk. The caps are enchanted with Wind elementrons that keep them afloat. If the stalk is broken (or once the mushroom grows big enough, when it breaks off on its own) the cap will float upwards. When it reaches the Hollow Void, it bursts into a cloud of spores, which will then float back down.

Dreaming longstalk: Mushroom with tall stalks. Some grow upwards of 100 feet. Their stalks often have striped patterns in the colors of their shroomery. Ingesting them induces hallucinations.

Starlight morel: A morel that grows in the Xathenessi Shroomery. Enchanted with Light elementrons, light is emitted from the cap. The light comes in different colors depending on the exact species of morel. Used as a source of light there, though they do not grow well anywhere else.

Raduga polypore: Polypores growing throughout the dominion’s many forests, though named Raduga (the old name for Aloutia which also means ‘rainbow’) due to how their colorful rings resemble Aloutia’s rings. They are edible, though mostly used for decorative purposes.