Bearded Date
The Bearded Date Tree is one of the most characteristic plants of Outremer. These trees can grow incredibly tall, up to 100 feet. They are most commonly found in the Burning Brush, although they can be spotted throughout the country.
The Bearded Date is a staple food for denizens of Outremer, as its dry fruit keep very well in heat. In fact, its reproduction relies on the heat and regular flames of the Burning Brush. Its fruit grow close to the bark of the tree, underneath its "beard", which are really just older leaves which the plant retains as it grows.
When the beard catches fire, the heat dries out the trunk of the tree, resulting in the dates being launched into the air. In this way, the beard is able to provide a barrier between the dates and any pesky animal which wants to harvest them, but it burns up just before launch, allowing the dates to travel far away. In large aggregations, these dates are often caught by the beards of other trees, which when ignited, can move that date even further if it gets knocked by one being newly launched!
This seed dispersal strategy means dates are abundant in both the beards of trees, and underneath near the bark of the tree. While a staple food of Outremer, it is considered a delicacy in far away lands, and is one of the country's main trade goods.
Despite the abundance of food, Bearded Date forests are known for being very dangerous to traverse. The beards limit visibility, and with how fast they can light, many have been right next to a flash fire without knowing...until it's too late.
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