Spludd

Spludd is a plant-like organism that produces a fruiting body commonly consumed as a food. The exact origins of spludd are obscure, it likely originated among the old core worlds of the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns, where it is a popular food.

The fruiting body of spludd contains small seeds that are normally eaten with the flesh of the fruit. The spludd fruit (simply called spludd), is reminiscent of bread, of pudding and of meat, combining the textures of all three. It has a unique sweet and savory flavor and is high in both protein and short-chain carbohydrates.

Humans first encountered spludd on New Promise in the hills northwest of New Denver. Archaeological findings in the area suggest that the Convergence had been in that region sometime before humans first arrived in GSC 130.

Life Cycle

Spludd grows from a seed, like most plants. Upon sprouting it first grows leaves and a short stalk, then develops the fruiting body. The juvenile fruiting body is covered in a sweet nectar and pollinated directly by insects without going through the flower stage typical of most plants.

A spludd bud, at this early phase of development the fruiting body is considered inedible due to high levels of tannins.

A more mature fruiting body, this one is not quite fully ripe, but getting close.

The spludd fruit right after harvest.

After cleaning and preparation. Spludd can be eaten raw, or cooked into a wide variety of dishes.

A popular recipe featuring spludd as the main ingredient is this sweet and spicy cake.

Pictures made with ArtBreeder.

Itchberry

Itchberry is a small bush, named for its fruit, native to Iblaan. The fruit of the itchberry has great cultural significance in the Iblexian Empire as a favorite ingredient in various dishes. So much so, that a cluster of itchberries is the official symbol of the BBQ and Delicatessen Guild, one of the most important social institutions in the empire (which functions very similarly to a professional sports league). The Iblexian name for the itchberry translates to “royal fruit”, but most humans know them as itchberries due to the mild allergic reaction they cause. The berries themselves are sour, and usually lead any human who eats them to break out in an itchy rash that can last for up to a week.

Del-Brikki

The Del-Brikki (meaning “drink tree” Del = tree, Brikki = to drink) is one of the more infamous plant species native to Dionysus. It grows in the wide expanse of the planet’s tropical and sub-tropical biomes, and its fruit is one of the main exports of that world.

The fruit of the Del-Brikki consists of an inedible hard outer shell that contains a sweet nectar that has an alcoholic content of about 90 proof. This naturally occurring cocktail is an important part of the laid-back tropical culture of most of Dionysus. The fruit naturally takes on rainbow coloration when ripe, and the top of the fruit where the stem attaches easily pops off, opening the fruit for consumption. The main enhancement to the enjoyment of the Del-Brikki was the introduction of refrigeration when the first humans arrived on Dionysus in GSC 155.

Once outside interests began farming the Del-Brikki, it was difficult to recruit the Dionysian population to work in the orchards, as the notion of commercial work was an alien one to most of their cultures. Initially, most of the work was done by an imported robotic workforce.

Glogvine

Glogvine is a short plant (average height is around 25cm fully grown), native to the highland regions of New Promise. The main stalk consists of several vines that twine and braid around each-other. The bright blue seed-pods attract foraging animals, and make a sweet and crunchy addition to a spring salad.

Vase tree

Habitat

The Vase-tree is native to the deserts of New Albuquerque.  It survives the arid environment by collecting rainwater (and any animals hapless enough to fall in) in the base of its massive trunk.  Found primarily in the arid regions of the planet's northern hemisphere, some species are found near the southern rain band as well, (whether these are the result of convergent evolution has been the subject of serious debate, but no conclusion has yet been reached).

Handy Vasetree sprite

Anatomy

The vase-tree is dominated by its trunk, which resembles a large vase (from which it gets its name).  The vase is hollow, and is ringed with rows of downward-pointing internal spines (which help it trap and digest any animals that fall in).  The vase typically forms around a single large knot in the wood of the trunk (known as the "navel" of the tree), which is often drilled out by those knowledgeable in desert survival as the fastest way to the tree's water supply.  The upper end of the trunk centers around a large opening that supplies water and nutrients to the tree. 

Vase trees only have a few large leaves that sprout from large stalks coming out of the trunk.  The underside of these leaves is covered (in most species) with a thick growth of vines.  The ends of these vines sprout flowers that then give way to small fruits.  When these fruits are ripe, the vines detach from the leaves.  Many of these fruits are edible to humans, and the various nomads and wildlife of the planet often consume them.

Most vase-trees are between 5 and 10 meters high, although specimens as large as 250 meters are known to have existed when humans first arrived on New Albuquerque.  Most of the largest vase-trees were harvested for wood in the early years after the crash of Garcia's Hope.

Economic value

The wood of the vase-tree is porous, and not suitable for most construction applications, although larger trees have more solid wood, which is.  The wood of even small vase-trees is still valuable for paper-making or fuel.  The fruits (in most species) are edible.  The fruits are typically semi-sour in flavor, yet nourishing, and have become the basis of several dishes in the cuisine of New Albuquerque.  The main economic value of the vase-tree lies in its ability to store water in the desert wastes.

Another use of the vase-tree is the downward-pointing spines that grow in the interior of the trunk.  These are often harvested and used as spears by Vorgon nomads.

The Tale of the Vase-tree

The tale of the vase-tree was a common creation myth among the Vorgon tribes of New Albuquerque.  The Vorgons are also known as "goblinoids", though this name is considered to be somewhat derogatory, because of their resemblance to goblins from human folklore. 

The gist of the tale is that when the gods created the world, they inhabited it solely with plants, the greatest of which was the vase-tree.  Little did the gods realize that the vase-trees would bring forth the Vorgon race (who are claimed to be the parents of all the other animals through a series of degenerate events).  The first Vorgons are said to have climbed out of the trunks of the vase-trees, bending inward the long spikes that vase-trees grow on their interiors, which had previously pointed upward.  This so upset the gods that they sent a great calamity to dry up most of the world's water to punish the vase-trees.

Bravaxian Grunkle-fly

The Bravaxian Grunkle-fly is a species native to Bravaxia (home-world of the Bravaxians).  Grunkle-flies are diurnal omnivores with three sexes (like Bravaxians, and most other animal species from Bravaxia).  Grunkle-flies are semi-buoyant in Bravaxia's thick atmosphere, and their main mode of locomotion is to fly on four paddle-shaped wings.  They have six eyes, and breathe through a series of small openings that run down the length of their bodies on both sides.  

Life Cycle

Grunkle-flies hatch from eggs laid by a female, and fertilized by both a left-male and right-male.  They mature over a period of about five weeks, and are about the size of a watermellon when fully grown.  They typically live as adults and reproduce for three Bravaxian years, occasionally living an additional year in old age.

Hunted for Food

Before the arrival of the Convergence on Bravaxia, the Bravaxians hunted Grunkle-flies for their diaphanous flesh, which has the odor and flavor of rotting fish.  Greys in the Convergence prize Grunkle-fly meat for this flavor (which Humans find repellent).  Along with Grabage-fruit, it was one of Bravaxia's major exports during the Convergence occupation.  Grunkle-fly meat is edible by Humans, though few actually enjoy it.  Bravaxians also use the sharp teeth of the Grunkle-fly as spearheads.

Juffalope

Named for its discoverer, Dr. Argos Juffle, the Juffalope is a grazing, herd-living animal native to Fitzgerald's world. 

Unique Traits

The fact that its home-world has no significant land predators has allowed the Juffalope to evolve several traits that would not survive in other environments:

-Its white skin is spotted in pastel hues, making it immediately visible in the landscape. 

-The Juffalope's three long, feather-like tails would be easy for a predator to grab. 

-Also, it's painfully slow gait is due to joints ill-adapted to running.

-The Juffalope's long, slender neck terminates in a comically small head.  The Juffalope has no ears, making it completely deaf.  The Juffalope's brain is quite small, which has the side-effect of making it remarkably easy to tame.  The small mouth and slender neck of the Juffalope make grazing an almost constant activity (except during mating season), as it has a hard time swallowing enough food to power its body.

Life-cycle

Juffalopes gestate for a short three months.  Mothers typically give birth to a litter of three or four offspring at a time.  The young juffalope is quite small, only weighing about ten pounds, but begins walking and grazing almost immediately after birth.

Juffalopes grow to maturity quickly, being able to reproduce after only two local years.  Adults can grow quite large, and specimens weighing over 2000kg are not unknown.

The average lifespan of a Juffalope is around 120 Earth-years, the most common cause of death being old age, although occasionally a disease or food shortage will devastate a population, felling entire herds.

Economics

Juffalopes found some market value as pets during Era-1.  During Era-2, with its scarcity-based economy, Juffalopes also became livestock.  Juffalope meat has an exceptionally mild flavor (often attributed to the low stress lifestyle of the Juffalope).  Juffalope hide also became somewhat popular in clothing during Era-2 for its unusual coloration. 

Bravaxian Garbage-fruit

Bravaxian garbage-fruit is a large melon, notable for its pungent odor (similar to rotting garbage).  The Melon's skin is bright red with white spots, the flesh is pure white, with small, black seeds.  The foul scent of the melon can be removed by steaming off the skin.

Garbage-fruit grows on short vines with square leaves that grow in the marshy quarters of the Wind-forests on Bravaxia.  The garbage-fruit vine has small, deep-red flowers.  When the Greys arrived on Bravaxia, garbage-fruit was a commonly gathered food. It turned out to be relatively easy to domesticate, and became a cornerstone crop of the agricultural economy.

Even when de-scented and carefully prepared, garbage-fruit is unpalatable to humans due to its bland flavor and soggy, pulpy texture.  The experience of eating it is said to be similar to eating wet cardboard.  Greys, and Bravaxians on the other hand thoroughly enjoy garbage-fruit, savoring its odor and texture. 

Growing garbage-fruit was one of the main occupations of Bravaxian slaves during the Convergence occupation of Bravaxia.  Even after the occupation ended during the third Convergence War, Garbage-fruit remained one of Bravaxia's chief exports.  For Bravaxians, garbage-fruit is a staple of their diet.  Among Greys, garbage-fruit is a sought-after delicacy.  On human worlds, its pulpy texture made it useful for the production of cheap paper, and its low price often made it a foodstuff of last resort for the desperately poor.