Barghum

The Barghum is an exceedingly thorny bush that continually bears oversized sour berries (except in winter). It grows in scrubby thickets at the base of the Valta Mountains. A hard, thick shell forms around the outside of the berry to protect it from both drying out and the sandstorms prevalent in that area. It's difficult to tell when the barghumberries are ripe and they are toxic when underripe, so the fruit is generally allowed to begin fermenting on the bush, since they are primarily used for winemaking anyway. Despite the low sugar content, the wine is highly alcoholic due to the naturally occurring yeast in the fruit, which eventually consume the complex starches of the shell.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Barghum is a low-growing bush that's armed with large, poisonous spikes. Any animals unfortunate enough to fall or stumble into a barghum thicket suffer deep gashes that expose them to a somniferous poison. After it takes effect and they collapse into sleep, their heartrate will continue falling until they expire. This is the reason that barghum thickets are littered with bones and occasionally a rotting carcass. The bodies provide a much-needed source of nutrition for the plants as well, and the importance of this external source of nutrients is said to be a driver for the evolution of the super-sweet smell of the barghumberry shell.

Genetics and Reproduction

Undisturbed, the barghumberries will ferment and eventually eat away at the hard shell, dripping a sweet-smelling, highly acidic liquid onto the rocky soil where the seeds fall. Insects and small animals are often attracted to the moisture and scent, becoming trapped in the sticky juice. The acid serves to somewhat neutralize the extreme alkalinity of the soil, while the insects and rodents act as feritlizer for the seedlings.

Growth Rate & Stages

In the first year, a barghum seed sprouts a single, woody vine that sprouts meager leaves before curling around several times and digging back into the soil. This gives each plant two root systems, to increase its chances of survival. If multiple seeds sprout in the same area, the largest one will dominate and strangle its smaller competitors, sending tiny spines into their stems to leach nutrients and moisture. The second year, the barghum plant focuses on growing stalks upward from the first year's vine. It begins looking more like a bush as it sends shoots and leaves upward, while the old vine grows woodier, thicker, and more rootlike, dropping its few leaves.

Ecology and Habitats

The soil at the base of the Valta mountains is notoriously rocky and incredibly alkaline where it meets the Pangfen Desert. Wildfires are quite common on the Valta mountains and they form quicklime from the limestone in the rocks. Precipitation and gravity carry this caustic material downhill and it is deposited along the edge of the desert below. In response to this inhospitable environment, barghum plants have evolved a number of characteristics which do not appear elsewhere in vegetation on Fortis, although it shares several characteristics with other ambush predators.