Flora & Fauna: Earth-star

 Dear Reader,

I apologize for the lack of a sketch to go with this week's Flora & Fauna post. I simply haven't had the time or the energy to sketch this plant (well, fungi) out. If you look up "Puff ball mushrooms" you'll find the fungi that I am talking about. Just as they can be found and harvested in our world, they can be found and harvested in the world of Evandar. Evandari names for this plant range widely given the fact that there are seven independent kingdoms that make up the larger kingdom of Evandar. There are also many local variations. Almost all of the names can be taken to mean 'Earth-star'. 

There are two varieties of Earth-star. The first variety is edible when it is young. It has white colored, firm flesh and can be in a ball shape up to a foot in diameter. It is considered a very common food stuff. As the white variety of Earth-star ages, it develops yellow spores and seems to deflate some. It cracks open upon the top of it in a star like shape. When squeezed or crushed, the spores are released. The spores of the white variety of Earth-star cause mild gastric distress and can be mildly toxic.  

The second variety is purple and is inedible. Purple Earth-star causes intense gastric distress and can cause death if consumed. The flesh of the immature plant is a pale lavender. As the purple variety of Earth-star ages, it takes on a pale brown color and develops a star shaped crack in the top where spores that are yellow are released. These spores have a mildly hallucinogenic property but the gastric distress caused by their consumption out weighs any entertaining benefit of the hallucinogen. 

Both fungi prefer temperate conditions with a good supply of moisture and rich loam to grow in. They prefer deep shade, as would be found within a dense forest, but can grow to slightly smaller sizes in full sun gardens as long as there is some shade for them. The propagation of Earth-star is done by gathering small, mature fungi and sprinkling the spores over the area where one wishes to grow them.