Amaranthine
From Changeling Venue
Contents |
Physical Description
Amaranthine is comparatively rare and resembles the earth variety of plant family known as the nightshades. It bears a small red fruit of the same name, commonly used as a vegetable in cooking. It is a short-lived perennial plant. It grows 16 to 57 inches tall, with large coarsely lobed leaves that are 4 to 8 inches long and 2 to 4 inches broad. The stem is often spiny. The flowers are white to purple, with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. The red fruit is fleshy and contains numerous small, soft seeds which are edible.
Cultivation and Propagation
Amaranthine typically grows better in tropical or subtropical climates and can be transplanted into a private garden after all danger of frost has past. Seeds are typically started eight to ten weeks prior to the anticipated frost free date.
Many pests and diseases which afflict other Solanaceae vegetables, such as tomato, pepper, and potato, are also troublesome to Amaranthine. For this reason, it should not be planted in areas previously occupied by its close relatives. Four years should separate successive crops of Amaranthine. Common Hedge related pests include light motes or sprite clouds, blood beetles, true aphids and spindle spider mites. Many of these can be controlled using any bacterium that attacks these tiny, soft-bodied predators. Larger versions of these pests may be removed by hand, though true aphids can be especially difficult to control.
Properties of the Plant
Physical and Medical Properties
The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Salting and then rinsing the sliced Amaranthine (known as "degorging") can soften and remove much of the bitterness. The Amaranthine is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed. The fruit flesh is smooth; as in the related tomato, the numerous seeds are soft and edible along with the rest of the fruit. The thin skin is also edible, so that the Amaranthine need not be peeled.
Mystical Properties
Eating the fruit of an Amaranthine, or a meal prepared with the fruit, heals a Changeling of a single point of aggravated damage. Glutting on Amaranthine has no additional effects; Amaranthine restores only a single point of aggravated damage per scene.
Rumors About Amaranthine
~Free to add additional rumors here~
OOC Information
Amaranthine is a Goblin Fruit that is explained in White Wolf's Changeling: The Lost book on page 223. The book compares Amaranthine to our Eggplant and the flavored text above I included based on the information we have about the real plant.
