Plants and Herbs of Lyran Tal

The plant-life of the world of Lyran Tal is many and varied. What is catalogued here is not meant to be a complete list, nor is it necessary knowledge that all players must know. It is offered as a reference for players and their characters and not as a limitation on what might yet be created. It is a showcase of some of the flora unique to Lyran Tal, and listed so that all the players and writers can draw from one another's ideas and perhaps expand on them.

This information is presented in an OOC manner for the use of players, so what is written is fact. Use discretion in what characters may know of these plants and herbs, and feel free to insert mistaken beliefs and myths into character perceptions!

Player's Note: New plants must be original to the setting and follow the format of current entries. Work out all details with the Leader for the region(s) in which the plant or animal will reside. New entries to 'Plants and Herbs of Lyran Tal' must be submitted by the Region Leader to one of The Webmaster.

The icon "" indicates that the plant possesses magical properties.

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Balon

Range: Caverns beneath the northern Sturrbith Mountains, specifically near underground lakes and rivers. Arboria and Cloosidian.

Physical Description: The balon is a round, bulbous red fungus with mottled white indentations, giving it a spongy texture. The fungi's cap is very firm on a small, short, white stalk that can grow up to 9'' in diameter.

Notes: When boiled, this fungus produces a savory, rich broth that almost resembles meat. Its musky scent fades through cooking, turning faintly salty.

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Beggar's Buttons

Range: This plant grows wild in the temperate regions of Lyran Tal along fence walls, roadsides and large stones.

Physical Description: Growing two to nine feet tall, the root of this plant is long, fleshy with a grey-brown coloring outside and white inside. The second year the plant grows a furrowed, reddish, slender stem with woolly branches. Leaves are oblong to heart shaped, green and hairy on the surface, woolly underneath. Long-stalked, flat-topped clusters of purple-blue flowers bloom from the branches from Meridian to Soothcool, forming sticky, oblong seedpods that stick to clothing and skin.

Notes:

• Leaves boiled and applied externally aid in skin disorders, diaper rash and gout. Is known to be a good wash for sores and acne.
• Fresh leaves, pounded and placed on a pulled muscle or sprain brings instant relief.
• Leaves poulticed good for burns, boils and sores.
• Fresh root, grated and mixed with water taken as a daily tonic eases swollen glands and aids impotence.
• A poultice of grated root and salt placed on an injury eases pain.
• Ground seeds boiled and applied externally good for insect bites, snake bites, backache.
• Crushed seeds, poulticed, good for relieving the swelling of bruises.
• Boiled seeds, taken in small quantities, good for canker sores and sore throats.

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Bird's Flight/Poela

Range: Found growing wild in dense areas of tropical growth in Southern Oceanuus.

Physical Description: A type of bracket or shelf fungus, mainly found on trees. The center of the disc-like shapes are a blue-greenish color. Irregular bands of color extend outward to slightly frilled edges, fading to a muddy tan. They are usually tough and resiliant, very fibrous in nature when split open. Blue, bioluminescent spores are produced on the tubes of the undersurface.

Notes: The spores are used in the drug "Glitter-Glee" (thence the reference to glitter), which was originally utilized by 'mancers in the creation of illusions. The drug itself is highly addictive, mood-altering, and usually fatal. Physical and psychological dependence develop quickly. The spores are ground and sold as a blue powder that is smoked, eaten, or inhaled, producing a feeling of pleasure and euphoria. With their continued use the body demands larger amounts to reach the same sense of well-being. Malnutrition, respiratory complications ensue. A bluish pallor to the skin develops and in later stages of the disease, victims suffer greatly as they bleed out from their eyes. Withdrawal causes nausea, tearing, yawning, chills, sweating and extreme hallucinations. In small doses, it can be used as a pain-killer.

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Bitter Sandweed

Range:Scrub/brush areas; Thermador

Physical Description: Bitter Sandweed possesses jagged, triangular shaped leaves which grow in a  pluming  fashion up to eight inches in length from a thorn-protected, thick stalk. The plant propagates through its root system, which grows quite deep, spreading in a net-like connection between the stalks above ground.

Notes: This plant is dry and bitter tasting, and the dried leaves are brewed into teas or mixed in elixirs. Large quantities of this herb can have toxic effects and lead to dangerous levels of dehydration, whereas small quantities relive severe constipation. Moderate consumption induces vomiting and is used in instances of ingested poisons. It is costly if purchased from an apothecary and its uses aren't well known outside of Thermador, except by Vivomancers, Healers, and those who can afford it. This particular plant has often been used to cause acute but rarely fatal illness in enemies and rivals and it's rumored that it was once even used to debilitate an army when it was secretly mixed into wine and food.

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Blisterberry

Range: Densely wooded areas

Physical Description: A bushy plant found growing wild in dense, heavily shaded woods or areas of intense shade, it can reach two to three feet in height with small, red flowerheads that bloom from slender stalks during Warmgrow. Dark green leaves are twice-divided, oblong and sharp-toothed. Fleshy white berries with red dots on their tips appear during Moonshare. Sister plant to Bloodberry.

Notes: The root boiled in water and seeped for thirty minutes, drunk in small quantities relieves the pain of childbirth, headaches, colds and chronic constipation. Warning: The juice of the blisterberry causes severe skin blisters and irritations.

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Blizzard Berries

Range: Throughout Hyathis in the milder climates

Physical Description: A ground covering plant with red, five-pointed leaves that produce white berries during the winter months

Notes: In some parts of the empire, Blizzard Berries are strung around homes to help ward away spirits of the dead, or even undead, that might try to visit during Mooncalling.

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Bloodberry/Goblin Eyes

Range: Densely wooded areas

Physical Description: A bushy plant found growing wild in dense, heavily shaded woods or areas of intense shade, it can reach two to three feet in height with small, white flowerheads that bloom from slender stalks during Warmgrow. Light green leaves are twice-divided, oblong and sharp-toothed. Fleshy red berries with white dots on their tips appear during Moonshare. Sister plant to Blisterberry.

Notes: The root boiled in water, steeped for thirty-minutes and drunk in small quantities is used for menstrual irregularities, postpartum pains and as a purgative after childbirth. Warning: Ingestion of the berry can be toxic and causes vomiting, irregular breathing and delirium. Has been known to be used as a poison.

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Bloodroot/Elven Ears

Range: This wild-growing herb is found in the rich, shaded soils of Arboria.

Physical Description: A small plant, growing no more than six inches in height with a finger-thick rootstock that contains toxic red juice when fresh. Dried, the rootstock is yellow inside and brown outside. Leaves are basal, each from a bud on the rootstock and grow horizontally with finely curved, almost pointed tips. A single-flower stem, shorter than the footstalk of each leaf, bears a red flower with eight to twelve petals arranged in a whorl, these blooming from Blossombud to Warmgrow.

Notes:

• Powder mixed into water, tea or wine and taken in small quantities aids respiratory infections, asthma and croup.
• Powder mixed into a poultice treats fungus, rashes and skin disorders.
• Powder mixed into a salve is good for the treatment of venereal sores and warts.
• Powder mixed with Ogres Spit, used as an enema relieves piles.
• Warning: Large doses act as a sedative and narcotic. There are reports that chewing this plant's leaves causes tunnel vision. Only the dried plant should be used.

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Boru

Range: High altitudes of Arboria

Physical Description: A coniferous tree found high in the Arborian mountains. The scaled, blue berries that grow among the cones of this tree have a faintly greenish paste within.

Notes: Used by the Dwarves to make Pinetar Brew. Also, when the paste is fermented in a cool place, it separates into both a thick glue and an amber liquid. The glue, known as pine mash, is used as an astringent.

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Buccabunga

Range: This plant is found in damp, cool places such as streams, ditches and marshes.

Physical Description: A small plant with a round stem growing one to one and a half feet tall from a creeping, jointed rootstock. Leaves are small, oval and have a finely serrated edge. Small, blue flowers grow in axillary spikes and bloom from Sunshare to Fadewarm. Seeds appear the month after flowering.

Notes: Fresh juice of the herb is mildly diuretic and can be drunk in a tea. It is also used for anemia, to break up kidney stones and to increase urination. Fried with butter and vinegar, applied warm to the skin, helps ease swelling and inflammation.

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Cat's Ear

Range: Throughout lower elevations of Hyathis

Physical Description: A low (6") perennial with small, ruffled grayish-green leaves. In the summer it bears one-inch-wide five-petaled flowers that are deep burgundy in the centers and fade to pale lavender-pink on the tips. The petals are soft and fuzzy, shaped like a cat's ear.

Notes: A natural painkiller, Cat's Ear possesses analgesic and anti-arthritic properties, reduces pain and inflammation without upsetting the stomach, and soothes the joints. To use, steep a handful of leaves in three cups of water. Particularly effective when combined with ginger.

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Cindolyn

Range: Low elevations in montane regions, both in the Skall and Sturrbith Ranges; Cloosidian, Luminii, the Badlands

Physical Description: Cindolyn grows in clusters of two or three in sporadic placements adjacent to large rocks, trees or other permanent fixtures of the terrain. Its spear-like leaves are six inches at their highest and become brittle and powdery in the winter months. Very light in fragrance with a sweet scent. The flowers are so small as to be invisible, as are the thin seeds.

Notes: This plant is often used to flavor foods as well as in body oils and perfumes. Dried leaves are brewed into teas or mixed for salves and poultices. In herb lore, cindolyn is used as a relaxant and stress reliever. It gained its name from an evil woman of lore, named Cindolyn, who was said to have charmed a King with its fragrance which led her into his bed, and him into his grave.

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Cramp Bark

Range: This plant is found growing wild in bogs and marshy areas of the continent.

Physical Description: A small shrub or tree, six to ten feet in height with elliptic, finely toothed leaves that are smooth, dull and one to three inches long. The bark of the stems is irregular, carved and grey-brown in color with a red inner surface. The root bark is a light brown with a yellow interior and is very bitter in taste. Small, black-specked white flowers grow in flat clusters between Blossombud and Sunshare, producing black to bluish berries on slender, red stems. Roots are dug in the fall and the bark stripped and dried.

Notes:

• Stem bark, dried and boiled in water for thirty minutes, drunk in small quantities aids all nervous complaints including convulsions, hysteria and spasms.
• Root bark, dried and boiled into tea a reliable remedy for menstrual cramps.
• Extract of boiled rootbark aids in pregnancy and as a preventative of miscarriage in early stages. Works as a sedative on uterine muscles.
• Warning: Ingestion of the berries can cause cramping and nausea.

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Death-Bloom

Range: Balthazor

Physical Description: A perennial flowering plant 5-15 inches tall. Leaves are rounded, finely hairy, and with a fleshy texture. Dark purple -- nearly black -- flowers are 1 inch in diameter with five velvety petals, and grow in clusters of 3-10. The scent is reported to be an aphrodisiac and the distillation is even more potent. Ingested or absorbed through a wound, the distillate is a deadly poison, causing a spectacular and protracted death. Short of vivomantic magic, there is no known cure.

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Delian Moss

Range: Arboria, in tropical and temperate climates, but no high altitudes

Physical Description: Delian moss is a low-growing, thick moss that can be pictured almost like acarpet. Its soft, velvety threads cover the ground in a plush mat. Naturally green, the elves have bred an assortment of colors for use in their cities.

Notes: Delian moss is used extensively in elven decor. Common in elven cities, it serves as a natural carpet for the floors, assisting the seamless entwining of indoor and outdoor areas.

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Drake Fin Plant

Range: Throughout Southern Oceanuus.

Physical Description: Broad-leaved plants with thick green stalks that can grow up to ten feet high. The sturdy, leathery leaves are oval-shaped, curving inward at their broadest parts in toward the stem. They can grow up to 2-3 feet long and a foot in width. Bright greenaround the edges, the rib of the leaves are surrounded with red.

Notes: Waterproof, the leaves of the Drake Fin plant are often used by locals of Oceanuus to construct drake pouches used in place of leather. A pouch made of one leaf is used for short travels. The leaf is folded in half and stitched up the sides; a small opening is left in the top. To seal the pouch, the stitches are covered in plant gum or oil-black heated to a rubbery consistency. Cork or a stone is tucked into the opening and sealed with more heated and cooled gum.

A two-leaf pouch is created from two leaves stitched together along their lengths with a small opening left. The seams are gummed overand, like the one-leaf drake's pouch, it is sealed with a stone or cork. A buoy ball (a ball of hard leather, also used in the game bu'ball) is inserted in the pack for buoyancy. A rope is strung along the side of the pouch to secure it.

A three-leaf pouch is created from three leaves. Two are stitched and gummed halfway along their lengths on both sides and a third is stitched halfway and tucked into the seam of the other two pouches. A small gap is left. Sometimes a leather sack is substituted for the first two leaves, but for the sake of flexibility and waterproofing, a drake fin leaf is always used for the opening flap. These partial plant sacks are still referred to as a  three leaf pouch  in terms of size. Two buoy balls are usually added for buoyancy.

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Dun'Dun

Range: Arboria, in high altitudes only

Physical Description: A plant with deep purple veins on its leaves and a crimson flower whose bud is black before it blooms.

Notes: When the dun'dun's black bud is pierced, it drips a dark purple fluid. To a dwarf, it comes across as a strong sedative, but it can be boiled down into a very sweet drink which even dwarves only consume in very small amounts. It can be addictive.

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Dwarves Whiskers

Range: Rocky terrains

Physical Description: Thorny vine indigenous to rocky terrains

Notes: Pain killer/sedative. Serum from thorns added to tea.

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Elvenglove

Range: Balthazor

Physical Description: The Elvenglove, or Dead Men's Bells, generally grow for only two seasons. In their reproductive cycle (the second season) flowering stems grow out to 2 to 3 feet tall. It bears bell like, or tubular, flowers which are crimson on the outside and paler underneath with a mottling of deepest crimson spots with a white border. The flowers only last a tenday and produce an enormous amount of seeds.

Notes: This plant is an incredibly versatile one. There are at least three different ways to extract from the Elvenglove, each one drawing out very different chemicals. The nature of the plant is that the extracts are all very poisonous. Each toxin affects the heart, but only one extract is soluble in water. The rest are only useful in crystalline (powder) form. Only the most highly skilled herbalist would even attempt to use it, though with high skill it can be very useful against heart related problems.

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Estreluna

Range: Near waterways in warm underground regions of the northern Sturrbith Mountains, Arboria and Cloosidian.

Physical Description: Estreluna has small white flowers with round yellow centers. The crescent-shaped petals grow in sevens.

Notes: Estreluna can only grow near running water in the warm, damp depths of igneous caverns. Feeding off of microorganisms and minerals in the rock, estreluna is one of the few plants that does not need light for growth. It is a perennial, thriving with proximity to water.

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Fesha'a

Range: The Eldethaine River Valley Arboria, wild and rare

Physical Description: A twining, woody vine with spectacular arrays of yellow, orange and red trumpet-shaped flowers over the whole vine, with a pleasant fragrance. Fesha'a retains its shiny opposite leaves through the winter. The vine climbs by twining counterclockwise around its support. Fesha'a starts to bloom in early spring and continues to bloom throughout the summer. All parts of the plant are toxic, even its honey.

Notes: This plant is sacred to the Druids and is used to induce visions in the Seeking rituals. If used improperly the toxin can cause paralysis or death.

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Fire Spear

Range: Cultivated from Sunshare to Fadewarm, primarily in Luminii and eastern Shadokahn.

Physical Description: A perennial plant growing to three feet or more with a glabrous, woody stem at it's base that branches as it ascends. Bright green leaves, oval in shape, are spotted with red to orange specks. Flowers, ranging from white to yellow, grow alone or in groups of threes and produce a many-seeded fruit pod with a leathery outside in a vibrant orange-red shade. The pod of this plant is used, including it's seeds.

Notes: Fruit pod and seeds of this plant are used for medicinal purposes.

• Dried or fresh, used as a seasoning to foods and rages from mild to very spicy with varying stages of pungency.
• One fire spear boiled in water and taken in sips is used as a fever reducer, nerve tonic, aids digestion, relieves gas, headaches, stomach ulcers and colds.
• Fire spear used as a poultice or salve soothes burns and scalds and can alleviate stiffness.

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Flowering Shell

Range: Found growing wild in Luminii, Shadokahn, Arboria and Oceannus.

Physical Description: A wild-growing perennial this plant has a simple, erect, square stem that reaches one to three feet in height. Short, shiny leaves are dark green, pointed and have a serrate shape. Dark red flowers in a scallop-shell shape bloom in pairs from the stem-tip. Blooms from Meridian to Soothcool.

Notes: Leaves dried, boiled in water for thirty minutes to produce a tea aids in indigestion, debility, constipation and jaundice. Fresh leaves, mashed, placed on the skin heals sores, ulcers and rashes.

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Flowering Sun

Range: Southern parts of Luminii and Shadokahn; some places in Oceannus.

Physical Description: Bright orange flowers.

Notes: Stomach settler. Dry petals and brew into a tea. Fragrant, and a favorite of small children.

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Fragrant Athna

Range: Midland areas of Luminii, wild and cultivated

Physical Description: Athna is a grass-like herb possessing long, thin stalks that can reach over two feet in height. The petal-less flowers are invisible, but the small seedpods appear at its tips in the early spring and fall off as the stalks grow. It emits a sweet, mint-like aroma.

Notes: Dried or fresh, stalks are often brewed for teas or added to foods. This herb can relieve upset stomachs, congestion and general malaise. It has long been cultivated by farmers and sold as an herbal flavoring in teas, stews, breads, cakes and sweets.

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Frostberry Bush

Range: Islands in the north of Southern Oceanuus

Physical Description: A northern relative of the Moonberry Bush. It grows 2-3' high with grey-green buds that blossom into small, bright blue and purple flowers in the winter. Its small, round, dark green leaves grow sparsely over the thick branches of the bush. The fruit of the Frostberry is round and about 3-4'' in diameter with very pulpy innards. When it fully ripens, it is a faint purple color.

Notes: Northern Oceanuus's climate is too extreme for the Frostberry,while Southern Oceanuus's winters are not cold enough. The light purple wine made from the berry is strong, partly related to the fact that the frostberry's southern cousin is a regionally-used sedative. The drink's fragrance is similar to the flower of the bush, but it tastes rather bittersweet. When chilled for a few hours and served, it is an effervescent drink prized by many but available to few.

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Hirenhal

Range: Rocky areas throughout Lyran Tal

Physical Description:The plant is compact with a short, stout base and a circular, bush-like growth pattern. The leaves are of a dark green color and are small and oblong in shape. In the herbs growth, as each leaf opens, it releases a tiny, grain-sized seed that is easily carried on the wind. Green, bushy herb with a bitter, peppery scent. Very hearty, hirenhal is resistant to temperature extremes and soil conditions.

Notes: Known primarily for its usefulness in salves, hirenhal acts as a topical antiseptic for minor cuts and abrasions. It is also known as a coagulant, controlling minor bleeding. Hirenhal has a small use in spicing foods. The origin of its medicinal uses is unknown, but it is widely used as a flavoring for foods as well as for its antiseptic properties.

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Honey Wheat

Range: Higher elevations of the Sturrbith and Talpeasea Mountains, wild

Physical Description: Honey Wheat is a light golden grass which grows in small patches in higher elevations, favoring southeast facing mountains. It can grow up to a one foot in height and emits a sweet-smelling aroma into the air.

Notes: Honey Wheat is used in druidic rituals and talismans.

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Honeyglove

Range: Borders of Luminii and Arboria. Wild and cultivated.

Physical Description: Sweet and fragrant, honeyglove grows in stalk clusters that reach an average height of ten to twelve inches. Each stem has large, spear-shaped leaves that grow at its base and the tops of each stem are adorned with a line of five or six of the trumpet-shaped, yellow flowers.

Notes: Useful as a relaxant and mild pain reliever, honeyglove is often mixed with other herbs, such as Fragrant Athna and Cindolyn, to produce a soothing tea. The petals are often used in small pouches sewn into pillows and blankets for an aromatherapy relaxant. It is found growing wild in Arboria and Luminii and can be found cultivated in small, backdoor gardens in all regions but Cloosidian and Balthazor.

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Hua-hsian

Range: Found primarily in the dry, warm climate of southern Thermador and northern Luminii, this herb is very common and often cultivated.

Physical Description: Spindle-shaped, thin, woody roots send up a round, grooved, branched stem up to one and half feet high. The lower leaves are round, the middle oblong and the tops are small with narrow points. Small, pink flowers appear in Meridian and ripen to a brownish, downy, starlike fruit about half an inch long during Moonshare. The entire plant is fragrant and the seeds of the fruit are sweet when chewed, emitting a licorice-like taste. Irresistible, yet toxic, to mice, this herb is used as a pesticide.

Notes:

• The leaves brewed into a tonic promotes digestion, alleviates cramps and nausea.
• Chewing the seeds cleanses the breath.
• A tea of brewed leaves and seeds relieves colic when drunk by a nursing mother as well as promotes milk production.
• A few seeds crushed into a glass of warm milk aids insomnia.
• A lotion made from leaf oils rids the body of lice.
• Oil of the seeds is often used as a flavoring in food and drinks

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Ironstem

Range: Islands in Southern Oceanuus

Physical Description: A ground-hugging subshrub typically 6-10 inches tall but spreading to about four feet. Leaves are lanceolate, sage green to four inches. Pale green flowers are insignificant and have no petals. Fruit is a tan-colored berry that swells to the size of an olive and produces a sticky purple substance with a bitter and very strong scent. The plant gets its name from extremely durable woody stems. It grows in sunny, sandy areas near the tideline.

Notes: A decoction made of the skinless fruits promotes blood circulation and alleviates pain. Externally, the sticky paste can be used to treat cuts and scrapes and stops bleeding. Overdose may lead to drowsiness, coma, and/or convulsions.

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Juniper-sage

Range: Rocky scrub lands in northern Thermador, wild

Physical Description: A squat, low growing shrub, the juniper sage has thick stems and branches covered in a tough bark. Its leaves are stiff and almost needle-like, with a waxy covering to prevent water loss. The root system of the plant is extensive, and there is more plant below ground than above; it pushes two or three thick taproots deep into the soil, sometimes through rock, to anchor the plant. Many smaller roots branch out from the central anchor roots, seeking every available drop of moisture. At the top of each taproot and just below the soil's surface, a large ball forms that stores excess water.

Notes: The bark of the juniper-sage is too tough for anything short of a firedrake to bite through, and drakes don't tend to feed on vegetation with regularity. The leaves are also thick,with an acrid taste. The plant produces a toxic poison in its leaves to deter herbivory, so potent that only the small antelope, the ciretai, can feed on them without detrimental results. While not mortal to humans, ingesting a leaf would have the person violently ill for a week. Some residents of Thermador have discovered that when the leaves of the juniper-sage are steeped and distilled, the resulting liquid is a hallucinogenic stimulant. A black market trading the drug has arisen in portions of Thermador, although the origin of the hallucinogen is guarded well by its suppliers.

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Kimana

Range: Found growing wild in the mountainous regions of Southern Oceanuus.

Physical Description: A leafy evergreen tree of the islands, it grows fairly fast to a height of 100'. Its dense foliage provides shade and the nearly-white wood is strong and is water resistant, though it is difficult to work with. The Kimana flowers are small, with five slender, pale pink petals with a delicate scent. It produces a dark red-purple fruit, somewhat pear-shaped and up to 3" long. The skin is thin, smooth, and glossy. The pulp is typically deep red, very juicy and sweet. If eaten before fully ripe, they tend to color the tongue purple.

Notes: The leaves brewed in a tea help to relieve rheumatism and inflammation of the joints.

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Knight's Courage

Range: Found growing wild in mountainous regions of Lyran Tal; cultivated in Luminii and some parts of Shadokhan.

Physical Description: A self-seeding, annual plant with a hollow, bristly, branched and spreading stem that grows up to two feet in height. Its leaves are hairy, oval in shape. Basal leaves form a rosette while the others grow alternately on stems and branches. Striking silver-blue, star-shaped flowers grow in loose racemes from Meridian to Fadewarm. The seeds are roughly pea-sized and white.

Notes: The leaves have a fresh, crisp flavor that is popular in flavoring teas and wines. The flowers are used to enhance salads and are candied to decorate confectionaries.

• Leaves boiled in water and seeped for thirty minutes, drunk in moderate dosages reduces fever and is a decongestant for lung ailments and has been credited with antidotal effects against certain poisons.
• Flowers boiled into tea stimulates milk production in nursing mothers.
• Poultice of leaves and flowers expels the poisons of insect bites and relieves skin irritations.
• Seeds boiled in wine are said to relieve melancholy and make men merry. It is also said to give courage to men just before battle. In large enough doses, it can become addictive.

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Ladies Fingers

Range: Grows wild in the Sturrbith Mountain valleys; cultivated in Luminii.

Physical Description: Found in cool, partially shaded valleys, this succulent herb requires rich, moist, well drained soil. It grows between five and eight feet tall and has large, convex leaves at the base of broad, flat leafstalks that branch as they ascend. The tips of each branch produces a cluster of twenty to forty tiny, purple, sweet smelling flowers. The flowers, robust and sweet tasting are often used in cakes, pies and desserts and are a common flavoring in wines and teas. The raw stalks are tasty and often eaten with cheese and cooked into stews. Candied stems are a confectionary. Blooms from Warmgrow to Soothcool.

Notes: Rootstocks and stems boiled into a tea and drunk is known to cure coughs, colds, intestinal cramps, colic, menstrual cramps, lower fevers and expel afterbirth. Poured onto the skin, cleanses ulcers and lesions and rids the body of lice. Chewing the root is known to cure hangovers.

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Lady's Grace

Range: Meadows of Luminii, Shadokhan and the fringes of the forested areas of Arboria. Wild and cultivated

Physical Description: Lady's Grace has distinctive white flowers, the petals of which are heart-shaped. This plant grows in large patches that blanket the ground and has small, oval, yellow-tinged leaves. The flowers emit a sweet fragrance, but the stems, when broken, are bitter.

Notes: Dried, the petals of Lady's Grace are often brewed into elixirs as a mild pain reliever. Fresh stems are mashed into a salve and used for topical pain relief. The plant is delicate and will wither into nothing with the first frost.

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Lianthe

Range: Temperate regions of the Selendoria Forest, Arboria

Physical Description: Lianthe is a small flowering plant, with star-shaped white blossoms that nod atop thin stalks. The foliage is a deep green, with numerous clubbed leaves that grow only four inches off the ground. Lianthe has a sprawling growth, weaving in and out of other more aggressive plants.

Notes: Lianthe grows in small openings of forestland, the leaves rising early in spring when snow is still spotty over the earth. The flowers appear later in Sunshare and last through to Meridian.

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Luminii Blue-Eye

Range: Luminii

Physical Description: Small, blue, three-petal flowers that grow wild.

Notes:

• Fever reducer/mild pain killer
• Good for ailments of the stomach, head, and general body aches.
• Brew into a tea or use as a poultice

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Marshbean

Range: Wet areas of Hyathis.

Physical Description: A waterplant primarily found along shorelines, bogs, shallow water, ditches and marshy meadows. Black, branching, jointed rootstock sends up a flowering stem that is dilated at it's base. Dark, green, oblong leaves cluster at the rootbase. Five petal flowers with fuzzy beards bloom in groups of threes, with a rose colored exterior and a white interior. Flowers bloom from Gentrain to Meridian.

Notes: Dried leaves steeped in cold water for eight to ten hours used to reduce fevers, severe headaches, indigestion, jaundice and kidney troubles. Externally, the tea is used to soothe ulcerated lesions and stop minor bleeding. Leaves have also been known to be used as a flavoring for food and ales. Warning: Ingestion of fresh leaves can cause vomiting.

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Moonberry Bush

Range: Islands in Southern Oceanuus

Physical Description: A tall-growing 4-5' bush with small grey-green buds that bloom during the rainy season. The flowers hang in small, pale purple clusters, each one displaying bright red stripes on each petal. The fruit of the moonberry is round and about the size of a cherry (2'' in diameter). When it fully ripens, the berry is a pale blue, like sea-water and seeps a greenish-white fluid.

Notes: The berry of this bush is a regionally used sedative that dulls the senses and causes sleep when consumed. It is also capable of numbing skin when applied topically.

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Moonlights

Range: Found wild only in the valleys of Cloosidian

Physical Description: A flowering bush, it grows 2-3 feet in height. Its large white flower blooms only during the summer nights enticing small moths to its radiating light.

Notes: While mostly used for decorative purposes, the leaves and bark have a protective numbing quality. Used topically.

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Morning's Child

Range: Forested areas of Luminii, Shadokhan, and Arboria. Wild and cultivated.

Physical Description: This unusual herb grows from a leaf-packed base where a grouping of bare, slender stalks shoot upwards to a height of eight to ten inches. The tip of each stalk is capped by a small ball-like structure. This  pod  has three overlapping flaps that are pushed open from within by a cluster of small, four-petaled flowers at sunrise.

Notes: This herb garnered its name from the fact that its flowers only open at sunrise; they are closed during the heat of the day. When fresh petals are chewed, Morning's Child acts as an anti-hypertensive, similar to nitroglycerine, in relieving crushing chest pain when the petals are chewed. When the dried herbs are used as a medicinal tea on a daily basis, a person can alleviate hypertensive problems. The plant was given it's name to reference the  birthing  of the flower clusters like that of a child from its mother. This herb is hearty, able to withstand most weather extremes but is sensitive to hardfreezes or snowfall.

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Nightwraith

Range: Low, forested areas of Luminii, Shadokhan, Arboria and Balthazor. Wild.

Physical Description: Small, dark purple flowers with dark red streaks down the center of each petal.

Notes: Dried flowers are used as a sedative. Warning: Consumption of more than three flower-heads can be fatal.

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Nihamu

Range: Islands in Southern Oceanuus

Physical Description: A member of the cabbage family, this bushy, rounded plant grows by streams and ponds. It reaches a height and width of about two feet. Both root and leaves are edible. The roots resemble a gnarled sweet potato in shape, and the six-inch leaves are thickish and spongy with a slightly waxy surface. The leaves are milder than the roots, which have a fiery hot/sweet flavor similar to horseradish.

Notes: Typically, nihamu is turned into a paste and used as a dip for crackers or fish. As the ingredient of a simple white sauce, it is also served over vegetables. Medicinally, it can be used as an anti-inflamatory, an anti-fungal medication, and to treat asthma and diarrhea.

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Nimea

Range: Fertile, loamy soil throughout the Eldethaine River Valley, Arboria

Physical Description: A deciduous tree with twisted branches and a gnarled trunk. Grows to a height of about 15'. Leaves are long and narrow, with serrated edges sharp enough to tear skin, which poses a danger when picking the fruit that is used in making the wine, Brio Awhain. The thick, dark blue skin of the nimea fruit surrounds a bitter golden pulp similar in appearance to a peach, but with a small, round, white seed. The fruit is entirely inedible, but sweet smelling; it is extracts from the rind that go into the production of the Brio Awhain, a secret that is even more closely guarded than the rumor that the Brio is made from waters of the mysterious Eldethaine River -- which it very well might be.

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Ocean Ivy

Range: Found growing in the warm, southern oceans of Lyran Tal.

Physical Description: A green to black plant, its long, narrow, paper-thin leaves grow in alternating pairs along a fleshy stalk that sprouts from a thick, bulbous rootbase free-floating in the ocean. This plant is nearly tasteless but for a hinting of salt.

Notes:

• Dried leaves brewed into tea soothe irritated throats and mucous membranes, reduces glandular enlargements and softens stools.
• Used in cooking, primarily in soups and stews.
• Excellent fertilizer.
• Used for winter feed for cattle.
• Warning: Use of Ocean Ivy has sometimes produced an allergic reaction.

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Ogre's Spit

Range: Found growing in sandy soil, primarily in Thermador.

Physical Description: A small, spiny tree or shrub with yellow-green leaves, oblong in shape. A twisted, bent trunk is covered in knobs and knots that exude a thick, sticky balm after a rain shower. This substance is collected and saved in sealed jars to be used for medicinal purposes.

Notes: Dissolved in water, Ogre's Spit is taken internally to relieve respiratory inflammations, urinary infections, sore throats and diarrhea. Externally it is found to relive sunburn, windburn and is beneficial as an eyewash. A salve of Ogre's Spit, Fragrant Athna and Hirenhal relieves muscle pain and stiffness.

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Palo'ana/Maiden's Blush

Range: Higher, forested elevations of Southern Oceanuus

Physical Description: A moderate climber with fern-like leaves divided into 5 small leaflets. Demanding of moisture. Clusters of tubular, waxy blooms are produced only during the cycle of Soothcool. The tiny (about an inch long) flowers are trumpet-shaped and an almost incandescent white that shimmers in the dark. The throats of the flowers are a pale, dusky pink - resulting in their common name of "Maiden's Blush." When the flowers are spent, the petals curl back in on themselves, eventually producing a round, dark purple seed.

Notes: The flowers are most often used as a lover's token and possess a delicately sweet fragrance. The seeds, when crushed into powder, can be added to beverages to act as a gentle relaxant. In large doses it is a mild hallucinogen. However, with only one seed per flower and flower clusters of perhaps 3-5 blooms, collection and propagation of the plant is highly impractical.

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Pe'hoa Palm

Range: Mainly in tropical floodplains and swamps -- and abundantly on the island of Pa'ahana in Southern Oceanuus.

Physical Description: These tall, slender palms reach a height of about 100' and bear pinnate leaves measuring up to 6'. A small, dark round 1" fruit is produced on branched panicles twice each year. The berries are similar in appearance to a grape, but with a larger seed, and taste like chocolate and berries. Leaves may be made into hats, mats, baskets, brooms and roof thatch for homes. The wood of the palm is resistant to pests and good for building and ship construction.

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Pipe Leaf (also known as "Andra's Lace")

Range: Typically grows wild in rocky, dry soil throughout parts of Arboria, Cloosidian, Luminii and Shadokhan, but can also be cultivated for gardens and farms.

Physical Description: Pipe leaf is a bushy plant that typically grows low to the ground. It has dark green leaves (these tend to be larger and more broad when grown on a farm or in gardens) which turn gold in autumn. The name Andra's Lace comes from the small, lacy white flowers which appear in late spring.

Notes: The leaves from Pipe Leaf are picked and dried (the time of the growing season in which this is done depends largely on personal taste). The dried leaves are then smoked in pipes, either as is, or in combination with various herbs and spices. Pipe leaf, when smoked, acts as a mild stimulant, not unlike a cup or two of strong tea. Smoking a great deal of pipe leaf will not result in intoxication, but may leave one feeling a bit 'on edge.' Pipe Leaf is not toxic, but repeated exposure to the smoke over many years may cause health problems.

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Rannine (also known as "Spike-Leaf" and "Wither-root")

Range: All regions of the Silver Moon Empire and the Badlands. Wild.

Physical Description: An innocuous weed that grows in small clumps, similar in appearance to a dandelion. The leaves are broad and serrated, growing out from a central point at the base of the plant with a minimal arch. The flowers are small and reddish brown in color, with their heads lying on the ground. Seeds are small hard berries purple-black in color.

Notes: This plant has many names across the continent, from spike-leaf to wither-root. While it can be eaten in small quantities, it has an acrid taste and very little in the way of nutrients, making it worthless to humans and other animals. A little known fact is that the rannine plant actually lives off of the ley lines, sending thread-like roots down into the earth to seek the raw magical energy. It can grow in any climate, in any soil, and even immersed in water, using magic to produce its energy for growth. During the conversion of magic to energy, a by product is formed and stored in the leaves. This substance can enhance a mage's concentration and spell-casting, such that spells that are normally difficult for them can be cast with greater ease. This enhancement lasts only as long as the rannine is actively in the mage's system. A drawback that results in few mages even attempting to use the plant is that the byproduct is toxic in high quantities, and while the benefits fade the toxins do not. Every ingestion of rannine is one step closer to death by poisoning, and for most it simply is not worth it. As such, the ability of this rather common weed is an obscure fact known to very few.

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Re'lan

Range: Naturally occurs in dense Arborian forests in regions of snowfall, though it has been exported to gardens of the wealthy in Shadokhan and Luminii.

Physical Description: Named for its flower, a long-lived blossom of purple and gold, the Re'lan tree is of straight, upright growth with a wide and spreading crown. Its bark is smooth like a beech, with tiny curving lines stretching from roots to crown almost like Gaia herself had set dannsrí into the tree.

Notes: The tree goes to seed in late fall, dropping cherry-sized nuts on the forest floor, mast for many animals through the winter. The seeds must  sleep  through the winter before they can sprout, but in truth the nuts begin cracking with growth weeks before the spring arrives as the root delves into the soil. Snow is necessary for the tree's propagation, and the Re'lan will not grow well in regions that do not see at least three weeks of snowfall. The flowers bloom in early spring when the leaves are small dots of green, and last clear through late summer. The deep heart of the flower, as well as the thick petals, keep many insects at bay, and pollen is transferred by certain humming birds and faeries.

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Savan

Range: Meadows and near river deltas in Arboria, wild

Physical Description: Woody-based shrubby perennial with grayish, aromatic foliage bearing 12-18" panicles of lavender to violet flowers from late summer through early autumn. This long-lived plant prefers hot and humid weather and its mature plants are 3-4 feet high x 3-4 feet wide.

Notes: This is a sacred plant of the Druids used in purification Rituals.

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Scorpion Brush

Range: Oases in central Thermador, including Wadi Medani and Dé Ithe.

Physical Description: A small scrub plant that grows low to the ground and domes upward about its primary stem. Its branches are densely tangled and, on the outside of the plant are many stiff, white, needle-like buds which, when touched, send a poison into the victim's skin. In winter, the buds blossom into wide, white flowers with seven petals and long, yellowstamens.

Notes: Scorpion brush venom that goes under the skin causes a searing pain that courses quickly through the bloodstream. In several minutes, the affected victim begins to lose motor functions in the limb and, if untreated, eventually suffers a temporary loss of all motor functions as the venom passes through the system. Despite this danger, when the venom from this plant is applied topically in small amounts, it numbs the skin.

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Scarlet Crest

Range: Throughout Lyran Tal in wet soils.

Physical Description: A dark red, leafy plant with white, tear-shaped roots.

Notes: Decongestant/bronchodialator. Boil the root for a tea and breathe in the pungent steam or mash the boiled root for a pungent salve to be smeared upon the chest.

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Shadowcap

Range: Found growing in all regions of Lyran Tal.

Physical Description: This herb is found growing on the branches and trunks of large trees. Sharp, claw-like roots burrow into it's host where it feeds on sap and moisture. Thin, woody tendrils extend from the rootbase, intertwining to form a dense "cap" of narrow, leathery leaves. Small, yellow flowers bloom during warm months which then produce a cluster of small, purple berries with the first frost.

Notes:

• A tea made from the leaves is used as an oral contraceptive. As with all forms of contraceptives, it's not 100% effective.
• Higher doses of the tea can stimulate a miscarriage.
• Warning: Proper dosing of the herb should be individualized to the recipient, and monitored by a skilled herbalist. Overdosing can lead to massive hemorrhaging, sterility, and, in some cases, even death. Ingestion of raw berries can be toxic or fatal.
• A small percentage of the population is immune to the herb and its effects.

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Sleepcreeper

Range: This herb is found in Balthazor.

Physical Description: A small, bushy herb with thick, black stems and broad, brown leaves that have a sharp, pointed tip. Dark, dagger-shaped, purple flowers bloom from Soothcool to Goldfall. Shiny, plump, black berries appear after Goldfall and remain until the end of Fadefrost.

Notes:

• Leaves and flowers boiled into a tea and taken in small doses acts as a sedative, treating nervous conditions, convulsions, twitches, anxiety, insomnia and stress. Suppresses smooth-muscle action. Dilates pupils.
• Warning: An overdose of this herb can cause decreased breathing, unconsciousness and death.
• Warning: Berries of this herb are sweet, odorless and extremely poisonous.

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Slickweed

Range: Wild in Luminii, Arboria, and Shadokhan.

Physical Description: Weed with blunt-edged, slippery leaves.

Notes: Leaves can be brewed in a tea for a pain-killer with mild sedative effects. Used in poultices and salves for burns, abrasions, and minor cuts.

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Soapweed

Range: Thermador.

Physical Description: A desert plant that can grow up to nine feet in height. Stiff, pine-tipped, oblong to lance-shaped leaves grow in rosettes with fraying, twisted threads. Light green flowers shaped like bells hang from smooth-branched stalks that thrust from a knobby, thick-skinned trunk. Blooms during Warmgrow till Fadewarm.

Notes:

• Roots soaked in water can be used as soaps and mild hair cleaners. Is often scented with Honeyglove, Ladies Fingers or Sunsmile flowers.
• Roots boiled and put into a poultice ease inflammations, sores, skin lesions and helps to staunch minor bleeding. A steam bath of the roots has been found to be useful in easing the pain of sprains and broken limbs.

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Starpetal

Range: Primarily fields and meadows; Luminii. Wild

Physical Description: This low-growing wildflower possesses white flowers with small, delicate petals that resemble stars. They blanket the thick, dark leaves and short stalks of the rest of the plant. Their scent is a sweet smell reminiscent of vanilla.

Notes: While starpetals have no real medicinal value, they have been used in flavoring both foods and beverages, most often steeped in tea. Of great importance to Vivomancers, the starpetal is shown in the common depiction of Nostrella, where she holds a cluster of the flowers in her right hand, signifying  life showered from the heavens likestarlight , from the Goddess herself. The starpetal is a very prodigious flower, growing in abundance throughout its range. The flower is regarded as sacred, and the women of Luminii carry a sprig of theflower or tuck it into their hair in wedding ceremonies for luck. Its symbolism with the Goddess of Life has also led some to place the flowers in the rooms of the sick, present a sprig as a gift for the birth of a child, and tuck a sprig into the hand of one who has deceased.

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Steelmint

Range: Throughout the Empire with the exception of sunless and rocky areas. Wild.

Physical Description: Steelmint grows in bunches with thin, reedy stems that support the dark green, dagger-shaped leaves. Rarely growing more than six inches in height, it can be easily identified by its strong fragrance, likened to camphor.

Notes: Steelmint is a common decongestant; poultices made with fresh leaves are applied to the chest and activated by hot, damp rags, else the leaves are chewed directly. Teas for the same purposes are steeped from the dried leaves. Steelmint has also been found to relive gum/tooth pain, regardless of age. Small quantities of the plant are used in flavoring foods and drinks. Insects detest this herb and inhabitants of the Empire have made use of it as an insect repellant on both their person as well as bordering their gardens. Its liniment, topical analgesic and decongestant properties have long been used as "homemade" remedies.

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Stumbling Elf

Range: Primarily Arboria

Physical Description: Vine with small green and brown arrow-shaped leaves.

Notes: Used as a pain killer. Brew a handful of leaves for a tea or poultice. Can also be used in salves for minor cuts and abrasions.

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Sunsmile

Range: Grows wild in pastures and fields in central Luminii.

Physical Description: A small shrub growing two to three feet in height with pale green, glossy leaves that are oval in shape and have strongly curved tips. Five petaled flowers, red rimmed orange in color, bloom in large clusters from Blossombud till the first freeze.

Notes: Strong, soothing, fragrant leaves are used in perfumes and to flavor wines. Brewed, a decotion is used as a mild aneseptic for skin wounds, burns and abrasions.

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Winterwoed

Range: Throughout Hyathis in the milder climates

Physical Description: A A deciduous bush native to higher elevations, winterwoed grows between 3 and 6 feet tall and lives 50 to 100 years. It has thick bark, but it flakes off easily. Needle-like leaves are silvery in color, making them look nearly white.

Notes: During Mooncalling, branches of Winterwoed are hung around homes in the belief that the smell from the very fragrant needles will keep ghosts, mean spirits, and the undead away.

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Whorlytop

Range: Throughout Luminii and Shadokhan.

Physical Description: Slender, simple, smooth, straight stem grows two to five feet from a horizontal rootstock, tipped by tiny, white-lined purple flowers that grow in clusters. Flowers bloom in Warmgrow and produce an oblong, flat fruit that contains many seeds. Finely serrated leaves grow in worls of four to seven along the stem and emit a bitter, acrid scent.

Notes: Steep boiled root to create an infusion that aids sluggish conditions and constipation. Taken in large quantities, stimulates vomiting. Warning: Fresh root is toxic.

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Widows Bitter

Range: Throughout Lyran Tal in wild in damp, swampy areas.

Physical Description: A bushy-stemmed herb growing two to four feet high bearing tri-pinnate leaves. Tiny, yellow-green flowerheads grow from leafy panicles during Moonshare. Both its leaves and flowering tops are used medicinally as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, narcotic, stimulant and stomach tonic.

Notes:

• Flowertops boiled in water and taken in small doses found to relieve indigestion, gastric pain, heartburn, fevers and dysentery.
• Dried leaves boiled in water and taken in small doses improves cardiac function, blood circulation and anemia.
• Tea made from both flowers and leaves used to relieve pain during labor. Can also be used externally to sooth skin irritations, bruises, sprains and arthritis.
• Oils pressed from leaves can be used to preserve clothes from moths.
• Warning: Overdose can cause nervous disorders, convulsions and nightmares.

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Yellowbird Fruit

Range: Woodland areas.

Physical Description: A woodland plant growing between twelve and eighteen inches high that boasts shield-shaped leaves and a single, waxy, large, yellow, beak-like flower that can grow up to two inches across, drooping from a crotch of leaves. At the base of the flower is an edible, bright yellow, oval fruit an inch long. It is this part of the plant that it used for medicinal purposes. Found in low, shady areas and rich woods.

Notes: Steep "fruit" in boiling water for thirty minutes to an hour. Useful for regulation of bowels and the liver. Also known to be good for uterine disorders and sexual diseases. Warning: Yellowbird Fruit is potent and has toxic properties that can cause birth deformities and fatalities. Should never be taken during pregnancy. Roots and leaves should never be ingested.

 

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