Bonasa Lyscale

I once pissed off a beautiful woman from northwest Vinato. She offered me a lyscale salad, and I thought that meant she had accepted my apology. The week I spent puking up my guts proved otherwise.
— A Foolish Cosonian Man

Bonasa Lyscale is an aquatic species of vegetation found in the northern stretch of the Aici River. It is one of the species primarily responsible for filtering toxins from the Aici and is used in water filtration systems for many settlements that rely on the Aici as a water source.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Bonasa are anchored to the river bed by a root-like structure. The plant consists of a long stem that stretches to the water's surface covered in long, flexible leaves that are brown in color with purple veins. The plant will continue to grow in length until its roots can no longer hold it against the river's current.

Ecology and Habitats

Bonasa thrives on toxins carried from The Wasteland by the Aici. In addition to filtering toxins from the water, Bonasa also serves as a food source for some of the animal species that are able to survive in the toxic waters and the aquatic forests created by the Bonasa can serve as a place to hide from predators.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Bonasa is used in basic water filtration systems along the northern Aici. Water is piped through a series of large tanks housing beds of Bonasa until the amount of toxins reaches a safe level. Some filtration systems employ a series of woven Bonasa sheets through which water is forced rather than a bed to filter water, but these require frequent replacement due to degradation by the force of the water and are generally only used for private systems. Bonasa leaves are also sources of highly concentrated toxins and can cause Green Aician Fever if eaten straight. The veins of the leaves can be isolated from the rest of the leaf, dried, and crushed into a powder to be used as a dark purple/black pigment or poison.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Bonasa is believed to have evolved from Silky Rock Lyscale, a species common to the waterways of Leland, but Bonasa is unique in that it is one of the few species able to survive in the toxic water of the northern Aici. When removed to cleaner waters, Bonasa is found to survive only as long as those toxins are still present in its system. For this reason Bonasa is only found in the northern Aici.

Genetic Ancestor(s)