Tragon Bush

The Tragon Bush is a rare bush found on the western coast of Deen-Narsha. It was discovered by Dan Garthumal, who later founded the Company of Dandiric makers. He took some of the fruit and fermented it because he missed the fine wine of Tectomia and hoped to create some for himself. It came out good and he enjoyed it immensely even though it was quite different from the Tectomian wine. He continued the making of it for many years but just for himself. But when his 50^th birthday came on he prepared a great feast and made a large quantity of Dandiric as he called it. The people who came spread the fame of his drink and urged him to sell it. He started making it with his sons. After some years it became the most prominent drink in all of Deen-Narsha just under water.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Low to the ground with deep roots. Only about 15-21 inches tall but around 45 inches in diameter. Grows branches out from the center with twisted ends, which serve as an interlocking system to cover the fruit underneath. Each twist hooks into three or four neighboring twist which makes and mesh. The fruit hangs under this mesh and is protected from most dangers. The fruit is called Dandir and resembles a strawberry but is larger (about 6 inches long) and more elongated. When the fruit is ripe, the stalk on which it had been growing increases in length until the fruit is just outside of the mesh. Once it falls off it may be blown away or trampled of eaten, but many seeds take root and grow a mesh of its own.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once it is planted of a seed gets pushed into the ground, there is about two years before it comes above the ground. During that time, it establishes strong roots. Once it comes up it takes about one summer to grow a large enough mesh to sustain fruit. It will continue to enlarge until it is unable to send the fruit outside the mesh. At this point it stops growing and fruit production decreases. Farmers of this plant often trim the bush from year to year to keep it from doing this, but it always happens at some point. It takes about 20 years in the wild to reach this point, but it may not be reached for a least 45 years when managed. Soon after this stage comes it begins to unravel and shrivel up. When this stage is at its fullest the bush resembles a very large tumble weep. When it is at this point there is still life in it and may live for another ten years, but most farmers cut it down.

Ecology and Habitats

It grows in between rocks and on the edges of cliffs, especially on the edge of the ocean. It has very deep roots, and thus can keep a good grip during a storm. It spreads its mesh out over the rock to create an inclosed space for the fruit. In the wild it plants fruit by sending it out to a nearby crack in the rock. The wetter the weather is the better, and in dry spells they die like flies under a fly-swater.

Additional Information

Domestication

Many farms were started when the demand for the drink skyrocketed. Large plots of rocky land near the western coast were covered in these plants. Farmers wait until the fruit was pushed outside of the mesh, then they would gather them or plant them. They keep them trimed to about 45 inches across to prolong their life and produce more fruit. When the shrivel up, they cut them down, but they can never get the roots out because of how deep they go.

Lifespan

50 years

Geographic Distribution