One of the most valuable plants in Astaria is the canephora tree. This elusive plant grows exclusively in the Orcish Isles, depending on a combination of sun, soil, and animals found nowhere else. It has large, long, narrow leaves that are dark green with a glossy coating. These leaves grow regularly from thin branches hanging down from a central trunk, not unlike a weeping willow. The central trunk is naturally tall and narrow, but can be made to grow short and squat through careful cutting, making harvesting the fruit easier. The trunk has a striped appearance, with alternating rings of grey-tan and burnt orange. It is sometimes described as the "tiger tree" as a result. The blooms are bright yellow and slightly asymmetrical. These flowers are pollinated exclusively by a single species of wasp (called the jewel wasp) that nests exclusively in canephora trees, creating large galls at the crown of the trunk. The fruit is either bright yellow or bright red when ripe, growing in clusters along the thin branches.
The plant initially grows quite quickly, reaching six feet in a single growing season. In subsequent seasons the tree grown extremely slowly, laying down extremely thin but dense layers of wood every year. Canephora will not flower until it is around 50 years old, having grown to a substantial height and the trunk having reached a substantial diameter. Planting an extensive orchard is thus easy, but the trees will produce nothing for an entire generation.
Every part of the tree is useful. The wood is extremely dense and hard, with a durability similar to bronze but much lower weight. It resists insects, water, rot, and mold exceptionally well. Its appearance is distinctive, with alternating rings of yellow and chocolate brown. Though it wears through cutting and woodworking tools quickly, it can be used to craft surprisingly durable items. Weapon shafts, tool handles, kitchen tools, and more can last for generations with proper care. It is too dense to form most of a ship (it does not float in water), but for items like rams and masts it is without equal. Thin layers, cured with canephora resin, are sometimes used on the exterior of hulls. It can even be used to manufacture a lightweight wooden armor that is comparatively cool in warm climates.
The resinous sap is excellent for hardening and waterproofing. Large, V-shaped cuts are made in the bark and the clear, yellow, dripping sap is caught in clay pots. This sap is painted onto ship hulls, sails, and even clothing. When exposed to smoke from burning twigs of the canephora, a reaction cures the sap into a flexible, waterproof resin. Subsequent exposures to the smoke will continue to harden the resin, eventually reaching a glassy hardness. It resists wear, salt, fire, and weather exceptionally well. Its bright yellow color when cured is distinctive.
The fruit, called kopi berry, is delicious and used to make a wide variety of dishes. It is both sweet and tart, with the yellow varieties containing more acid and being useful for avoiding scurvy. They are often dried into a sort of vegetable leather for sea voyages. The flavor is similar to cherry, but with a musky undertone and sharper taste. The fruits can also be fermented into a strong wine, traditionally flavored with sage leaves and black pepper. Cakes, tarts, pies, meat sauces, and candies are all common. It should be noted that eating or drinking large quantities has a laxative effect, which is why it is sometimes derisively called "shitberry."
The seeds are large and green, with one to each kopi berry. They are extremely toxic, causing hallucinations, heart palpitations, diarrhea, and seizures. They can be rendered safe by being fermented with the mashed fruit, which turns the seeds a bright yellow, but they are bitter and distasteful. Roasting these fermented seeds until they are black, then grinding them and pouring hot water through them, results in a drink called noto.
The orcs drink this in order to stay awake for overnight watches onboard ship, but the people of Westport add milk, sugar, and cinnamon to create an extremely popular beverage sold all over the city. Westporters are obsessed with the drink, consuming it especially in the mornings and late at night.
The leaves of canephora have a soporific effect. They are dried and ground to produce a medicine that in small doses reduces pain, in moderate doses induces sleep, and in large doses is deadly. In many places canephora is therefore considered an essential medicine, especially when surgery (such as amputation) is required and healing magic is unavailable. It is frequently combined with black willow bark to fight fevers.
Some users combine the ground leaves with the dried and ground (raw) seeds and consume them to induce a euphoric, hallucinogenic state. Combining these with a small amount of the plant resin creates a substance that can be smoked in a clay pipe, enhancing the effects. Unfortunately this use of the plant is highly addicting, and its toxic components damage the body and mind over time.
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Type: Organic
Color: Leaves: Dark green. Fruit: Yellow or Red.
Related Species: Orcs