Plants (Guide)


Plants of Ditee-ath


Forewords

This is a guide over the different plants you may find on Ditee-ath and any important information about them!

The plants in this guide is made by the members of the group Gemmadite-species and TH world @Ditee-ath to be part of my species' lore and may only be used by group members!

Wish to make a contribution to the list of plants? Submissions for plants are open at all times, but there are some rules to follow. You can read more here: Plants submissions

FLOWERS

Gilliflower
Created by Syramoon
Click me to see ref of Gilliflower

What is the name of the plant?
- Downy Gilliflower (Purple variety alone, typically just Gilliflower for all types/colors)

What kind of plant is it?
- Flowering bulb

How big is the plant?
- 2 to 3ft tall / 60 to 91 cm

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Perfect for agriculture and commonly used for both beauty and farming. All it takes is splitting the bulbs off that it develops and replanting those and they'll grow completely new plants.

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- Flourishing, commonly seen in all areas that it can survive in.

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- Parts of it, yes. The bulbs are considered very tasty and the flowers themselves make a good garnish and are also edible. This said, the leaves are extremely waxy and while not poisonous, they create a type of intestinal distress that could easily lead to death if too many are eaten. That said, the stems up to the flower, while not creating the same level of distress are certainly not tasty and are more woody and sour.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- While it needs decent nutrient-rich soil, the cold affects it strongly and it only grows in temperate to tropical regions of the world.

Other info?
- An annual plant that practically sprouts fresh every year. However, it only flowers after the first year it sprouts unless it's extremely well taken care of.
- Comes in a variety of patterns and colors, though the most popular is definitely the purple as it's extremely striking to see
- Purple is known as "Downy" Gilliflower due to the softness of the petals as it's notably softer than other varieties
- The stem up to the flowers is surprisingly 'fragile' and can and will tip over with the weight of the flowers; gardeners keeping it for beauty reasons tend to stake the stem so that it doesn't tip over.

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Milfoil
Created by Syramoon
Click me to see ref of Milfoil

What is the name of the plant?
- Milfoil

What kind of plant is it?
- Flowering plant

How big is the plant?
- 10 inches/25cm tall at top of flower stem, 6 inches/15cm for rest of flower.

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Commonly seen in gardens, as it is so rare and difficult to grow in terms of agriculture.

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- In the wild, it's extremely rare, save where it peeks up in places where other species of grass/plant are unable to survive, due to a higher cold tolerance. In gardens though, it's difficult to grow, but popular species of flowering plant to grow due to the elegant beauty of it.

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- The leaves are known for being edible, though typically tea or other drinks are made from them. These drinks, though, are uncommon due to the scarcity of the plant and pricey where they can be found. The flower, though quite aromatic, is not edible.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- Though found in colder regions all the way to where it's the sole plant sticking out of both early and late snows, it certainly thrives better in warmer climates.

Other info?
- Typically found in small 'clumps' of the plant, as their seeds typically don't go too far from the original plant.
- The flowers never actually fully open and only have five petals on each flower
- Easily uprooted due to shallow roots, though this also means that it's easily killed off as well by anything rooting underneath it

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Lithishi
Created by Syramoon
Click me to see ref of Lithishi

What is the name of the plant?
- Lithishi [lith-ee-she]; Stone Flowers (common)

What kind of plant is it?
- Flowering desert plant

How big is the plant?
- Tall 'stalks' of the plant can reach up to 10in/26cm tall, giving the plant a tall, cylindrical appearance due to the diameter of the plant only being 2 to 3in/5 to 7.5cm maximum. The flowers only add a slight amount of height and diameter to the plant.

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Yes, though it's sensitive to the amount of water it's given. Too much water and the plant will rot but it thrives best in conditions typical to drought. They're particularly popular with Gems that have a "brown thumb" or issues with taking care of plants as they do best under what amounts to a practical lack of supervision.

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- Flourishing where it grows, though it can be considered rare

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- The flowers are edible in a pinch (disgusting taste) and the stalks of the plant contain a great deal of water to keep hydration up. However, best not to actually eat the stalks as they will make you sick if you eat them but if you extract the water, it's safe to drink.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- Typically found in desert regions, though it can grow in wetter climates if it gets less water.

Other info?
- Pollinates like many other plants and tosses seeds from the flower, almost like a dandelion plant, the seeds sometimes finding themselves quite far away from the original plant, though typically they'll grow in small clusters that look like rock formations.
- Top actually "splits" to push the flower out and after the flower withers and drops the seeds, the split that allows the flower out does close up again
- Flowers only when conditions are right, so it may not flower every year and can actually go many years without flowering; it can even flower, with good conditions, more than once in a year, though typically it won't flower the next year if that's the case.
- The flower petals are notably squared off on the ends and it is a notable feature of these plants that sets them apart, along with the multitude of petals and come in a variety of colors

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Kvuetal
Created by Koperus
Click me to see ref of Kvuetal

What is the name of the plant?
- Kvuetal - from the word Kvu (two) and petal - from two versions of petals in the flower

What kind of plant is it?
- Flower

How big is the plant?
- Purple Kvuetal - max. 20cm/7.9inchs in height, 6cm/2,4inch wide and 50g/1.764oz;
- Blue and Pink Kvuetal - max. 15cm/5.9inchs tall, 5cm/2inchs wide and 40g/1.411oz

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Purple Kvuetal - Yes
- Pink and Blue Kvuetal - No

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- Purple Kvuetal - Flourishing;
- Pink Kvuetal - Uncommon, possibly endangered in the future;
- Blue Kvuetal - Officially endangered;

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- All variations have very bitter petals, not toxic though.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- Purple Kvuetal - Growing in every mountain region;
- Pink Kvuetal - Exclusive to Vaisae and Ori;
- Blue Kvuetal - Exclusive to Octam and Favari

Other info?
- The name comes from the word "Kvu" (two) and "tal" in petal - from two versions of petals in the flower
- Blue Kvuetals are said to resemble Teuivae's beauty and were often used as a decorations during festivals dedicated to her. Nowadays the species is under conservation program and it is illegal to pick them up.

FRUITS/VEGETABLES

Leponos
Created by Koperus
Click me to see ref of Leponos

What is the name of the plant?
- Leponos

What kind of plant is it?
- Vegetable

How big is the plant?
- The whole plant is max 25cm (9.8inch) tall, 5cm (1.96inch) wide and weighs 350g (12.3oz)
- The flowers are quite small - 3cm x 3cm (1.2inch x 1.2inch) each

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Yes

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- Flourishing

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- Yes - all parts are edible. Leponos have a sweet and buttery taste. You can eat it raw, but cooked Leponos taste better

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- In the moderately cold regions. They can't stand too hot weather. Vivasia is the best place to grow them.

Other info?
- Scientists are unsure why Leponos developed its animal-like appearance, but it is said it was made for survival. It is said to be quite nutritious too.

GRASS

Bittergrass
Created by Syramoon
Click me to see ref of Bittergrass

What is the name of the plant?
- Bittergrass

What kind of plant is it?
- Grass-like plant

How big is the plant?
- 6 inches (15cm) tall, maximum; though this is only usually reached by the stems that have the orbs on them, the rest of the plant usually is between four to five inches (10 to 12.7cm)

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Sure, but one really wouldn't want to and it's frowned upon to replant it due to how invasive and hard to get rid of it is. It's easily done by replanting small plugs of the plant though.

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- Flourishing to the point of strangling out other types of similar plants.

Is the plant suitable for consumption? (If so, does the plant contain any poisonous parts that has to be avoided/not be punctured to prevent contaminating the plant?)
- Not particularly, though herbivorous animals do seem to prefer it compared to other types of grasses but will avoid the small orbs of liquid it produces if they can.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- Anywhere that grass grows. It's an extremely hardy plant that's been known to grow all the way into regions that are known for being cold and harsh before dying off in those places.

Other info?
- The plant spreads much like bamboo by spreading roots out and growing entirely new plants that way.
- It puts up stems that make the most of the 6 inch height that create small, clear, round orbs full of a very dark green liquid that's foul smelling and tastes terrible if broken
- There are some Gems that believe that the liquid from these orbs can contain medicinal properties
- During colder months, it will 'die off' by simply turning yellow-brown but will recover the second the weather turns warm

____________________________________ Vinla
Created by Dendariiis
Click me to see ref of Vinla

What is the name of the plant?
- Vinla

What kind of plant is it?
- Creeping grass

How big is the plant?
- Grows along ground in thin strands no wider than most earth grass. It grows to a radius of roughly 18in/46cm.

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Some may plant it for ornamental reasons, others may consider it a weed.

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- It's a common grass.

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- It's not known for having nutritional value.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- It can be found in volcanic regions, growing along rocky crags and crevasses.

Other info?
- It is a tough fibrous plant, perhaps the strands could be woven for crafts.

____________________________________ Tiksi
Created by Dendariiis
Click me to see ref of Tiksi

What is the name of the plant?
- Tiksi

What kind of plant is it?
- Grass

How big is the plant?
- Grows to about 8in/20cm tall

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- It is difficult to transplant, it requires exactly the right amount of soil nutrients in the right concentration to grow well. It can be done though by determined and experienced botanists.

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- It's rare, but not endangered.

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- The pods are dried/crushed and used as seasoning most often for meats.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- Volcanic regions, in the mid 30 degrees Celsius/90 degrees Fahrenheit range.

Other info?
- Tiksi is difficult to find and harvest, and due to the extreme zones where it grows, only Ignisdites are able to harvest/prepare/sell for commercial/private use.
The preparation is far from simple. Once the pods have been harvested, they are then typically left in trays in a volcanic glass cavern near active lava for several days. The fumes and heat "ripen" the pods which are then transferred to a cooler chamber while they go through a 3 month minimum aging process. After which they are then crushed/powdered/left whole and are ready for selling.

UNDERWATER PLANTS

Flowering riverweed
Created by Syramoon
Click me to see ref of Flowering riverweed

What is the name of the plant?
- Touch-me-not (common); Flowering Riverweed

What kind of plant is it?
- Water plant, carnivorous

How big is the plant?
- Can have a width up to 8ft/2.4m, though these are extremely rare to see, commonly seen are the 2ft/.61m wide leaves. The roots are typically long enough to implant themselves into the bottom of the body of water, making them extremely long. The stalk up to the flower is typically 'short' and doesn't grow at the same rate as the rest of the plant, being up to 9in/23cm while the flower itself is typically (in smaller sizes) a 6in/15cm across but at maximum of 18in/46cm across in the largest ones.

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- If one wants to set up the swampy setup to grow these, yes, they can certainly grow it themselves. That said, it's a difficult plant to grow as the roots can be "burned" if given too much fertilizer or too rich of a setup and the plant will thus die.

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- It's not particularly flourishing outside of areas that it naturally grows in but they are commonly seen in the ponds and swamps in their natural areas and in water gardens kept by Gems.

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- Not really known for consumption as it's not nutritious but it's also not poisonous, though it does get nibbled on by fish occasionally but is typically used as shade and as a hiding place for fish.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- Swampy, water-based regions. Generally hot, near tropical areas that have low nutrition for plants in the water and deep enough for the roots to drag through the water.

Other info?
- Size is mainly restricted by the size of the body of water; large bodies of water create larger plants that very typically aren't seen
- Very large plants have similarly large underwater traps, to the point where small fish are on the menu for this plant
- At larger sizes, the leaves are notably fragile compared to smaller sizes, easily able to rip and be destroyed; this is why the smaller sizes are commonly seen
- The plants, despite their carnivorous nature, are actually common for fish to lay eggs under or around to hide them from predators, though a number of these eggs do tend to feed the plant as well
- In tumultuous weather, the plant can and will break free of its hold on the bottom of the body of water and hordes of them have been known to move long distances after storms

____________________________________ Dehnaah
Created by koperus
Click me to see ref of Dehnaah

What is the name of the plant?
- Dehnaah - (from the pronunciation of letters D - Deh; N - Nah; A - Ah)

What kind of plant is it?
- Underwater plant

How big is the plant?
- The whole plant is max 80cm/31.5inch tall, 7cm/2.75inch wide and weights 970g/34.2oz.

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Yes

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- Flourishing

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- Yes, all parts are edible

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- In every sea and ocean

Other info?
- The middle part of the plant is the most nutritious one.

VINES

Ksopel
Created by Dendariiis
Click me to see ref of Ksopel

What is the name of the plant?
- Ksopel

What kind of plant is it?
- Vine

How big is the plant?
- Vine is typically a quarter inch thick at its base, will climb to the max height of whatever it can reach, unless temperatures drop below 25Celsius/59 Fahrenheit at its height.

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- Provided it is planted within the right temperate zone, a gem may plant it in their yards as long as its provided a place to climb, however it will not produce berries until it reaches a minimum height of 12 feet. Berries will grow the entire length of the vine.

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- In temperate zones it is easy to find in wooded areas.

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- The plant's berries are suitable only for Gemmismae, as they contain a very potent toxin. The leaves are non toxic.

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- It can be found along the equatorial zones.

Other info?
- The berries have a very unique sweet and savory flavor (the flavors have been compared to being a cross of earth's coriander and raspberries). The plant's leaves, which are broad at the base and can grow quite broad, can be used by any gem without a health risk. They are popularly used to wrap meats or rice/fruits, and then steamed, or eaten in a warm salad. It has a slightly nutty/buttery flavor. The roots are toxic to all but Gemmismae. The roots of a mature plant are typically mashed and eaten with a sauce of the berries. There are many culinary uses for the plant, and some even claim medicinal uses as well.

FUNGUS

Borol
Created by Dendariiis
Click me to see ref of Borol

What is the name of the plant?
- Borol

What kind of plant is it?
- Fungus

How big is the plant?
- Typically 4in/10cm diameter.

Is the plant suitable for agriculture?
- No

Is the plant flourishing, or near extinction?
- It's uncommon but not endangered.

Is the plant suitable for consumption?
- No

What region(s) of Ditee-ath can it be found?
- Volcanic Regions/Dark volcanic tubes/caverns

Other info?
- It is a carnivorous fungus which can be found growing in extreme heat. The base of it has a sponge-like texture, it releases glowing tendrils to attract prey of small insects. If something larger happens, it will retract its tendrils and close up. In the spring, in the quiet of night, a gem might be so fortunate to watch a Borol cluster release its bioluminescent spores into the wind. Scientists are currently studying the plant to see if it might have any use in the medical and science fields