Ukuj Tree (Ukuje)

The Ukuj plant is a large fruit bearing tree that originates from Osian. It lives in the snowy and mountainious forests of the north-eastern regions of the continent. It has since been imported to Enask and Arros.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Tree: The tree is tall, reaching around 25 metres with a wide trunk made of very hard wood and covered by black bark. The branches are wide at the base but quickly taper off towards the top. The tree produces dedicious broadleaves.
Fruit: At maturity, the fruit resemble a small purple pumkin, with a thinner, but very tough skin segemented by deep ribs from top to bottom. 

Biological Cycle

During winter, the tree enters a sort of dormance period, where it stops growing and the last of its fruits from the previous growing season fall to the ground. In the spring, the tree reactives itself and produces a myriad of purple-blue flowers, which covers the tree. During summer and parts of the fall, Fruits replace the flowers and begin to grow. The fruits reach maturity during the middle of fall but remain attached to the tree until around mid-winter. It produces hard and innedible fruits from flowers that bloom during the spring. The fruits reach maturity a couple weeks before winter.

Uses and Exploitation

Ukuj Wood

While the main use for the Ukuj trees are the fruit it bears, the wood itself isnt anything to scoff at either. The wood itself is hard and slow to burn. It is used to make the famous Bashrani wood carvings. It is very comparable to apple tree wood in terms of uses.

Ukuj Fruit

Growth

The tree produces a large hard shelled purple fruit. The fruit grows from the begining of summer to the end of Fall and remains attached to the branches until the spring, where it falls on the ground and a new flower blooms in its place.

Animal consumption

The fruit is generaly considered innedible in its raw form for humans, as it can cause stomac pains and indigestion, though some animals, like deers, Caribou or even bears and lynxs can consume it during winter, where food may be scarce.

Human Consuption

For human consumption, the fruit has to be cooked, which is generaly done over a open fire. As it cooks, the outer-shell harden even more and looses its flexibily. It is then able to be cracked open, which exposes the insides of the fruit. Thanks to the heat, the interior has become goey, like caramel and is incredibly sweet. The smell of cooked Ukuj is also known to be very alluring to animals and to shapeshifters.

Popped Ukuj Fruit

If the fruit is cooked for too long, the goey centre will continue to heat up and become pressurised. Once suffecient pressure has built up, it will pop out of its shell, forming a large, puffed out purple mass that is still edible but less sweet than when it was goey. It is then able to be easely grinded down into a fine powder, which can be added into many recipies as a more sweet substitute to corn starch. However, once popped, the fruit loses its alchemic propreties.

Alchemy

The fruit's goey interior can be used to make potions that help the drinker stay warm even in very cold temperature. However, this effect aren't just superficial, but actualy do make the body hotter and more resiliant to cold. While eating a lot of the fruit will eventualy give a similar effect, it doesnt last as long and is less powerfull. When distilled into a potion, its effects can last for a couple hours.

Lifespan

300 to 400 years

Average Height

15 to 25 meters

Geographic Distribution

• Continent of Arros
• Continent of Osian

Domestication: The tree grows in the wild in Osian but is also being domesticated outside of Osian, particulary in Arros, where they are planted in small patches near or inside cities. The fruits are collected during winters.