The Hyke Plant Family

The Hyke plant is the only known family of flora in the Kyntha order. This curious plant can grow and flourish anywhere that Kyn is found, and subsists off of this natural magical energy rather than sunlight or carbon dioxide. It is believed that, much like how common plants take in carbon dioxide and output oxygen, Hyke plants recycle agitated Kyn energy from the air and release a more stable energy back out. Botanists and Aerologists (those who study the science of magic) find this family of plants to be incredibly fascinating and have spent years studying its properties in magic and medicine.
This plant is of high value to Ærilian witches who use it as a magnification element for their contracts. Hyke plants are known to boost the Kyn energy in spells and can be consumed by mages to help offset Kyn damage in their bodies. This is done by absorbing and soothing the agitated Kyn that clings to mages after spellcasting.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Hyke plants come in many different species depending on where it's growing. It seems to have fast evolutionary habits, making it viable in most environments. A few of the more common types include:
Hyke Curatae (The Spongewool Plant)

These plants grow as long stalks up to 9' (274cm) tall with no leaves and are commonly found in open fields in the Halthlands. Their blooms are long cylindrical receptacles that are spongy in texture, with plush wool-like stamen. The stamen can be woven into cloth, however many find themselves allergic to it, thus making it an unpopular choice of fabric.

Hyke Agilius (The Lightbulb Plant)

Native to dark areas like caves and the denser parts of the Eternal Forest, the Lightbulb Plant grows in long, creeping vines that can stretch for hundreds of yards and crawl over most terrain obstacles. These plants flower with large bulbs at the center that grow in size over time. These plants will go dormant when there is little Kyn in the air, however the more Kyn energy there is, the more energy the bulbs will absorb, which causes the core of the bulb to glow. Beware though, these bulbs are not to be ingested as they will cause severe nausea and glowing vomit. Curious, but gross.

Hyke Anomus (The Grabbing Fern)

Found in more dense forests and areas crowded with underbrush, the Reaching Fern is notoriously aggressive for a plant. The stalks of these plants are often blue in hue, and curl at the ends. If the stalk comes into contact with anything, it will slowly grow around it. The blades on the stalk will also curl around until it ensnares its prey. These ferns will absorb the Kyn energy coming off of any plant it ensnares. There are entire trees that get covered in Grabbing Ferns to the point of killing the tree.

Growth Rate & Stages

Hyke plants are known to grow very quickly. Once they take root, the average Hyke plant only needs about two weeks to start to flower. This is why they are sometimes treated and classified as weeds. Thankfully, Hyke plants don't do well in close proximity to each other, which makes farming them difficult, but also prevents potentially devastating herbal takeovers.
At full size, the common species of Hyke plants exhibit the following:

Average Lifespan
Spongewool Plant: 3-7 months on average
Grabbing Fern: 4 months to 9 years
Lightbulb Plant: Unknown
Magebell: 6 months to 50 years (oldest known samples are in the royal gardens in Ærilia)


Average Height
Spongewool Plant: 6'-9' (183-274cm)
Grabbing Fern: 1'-4' (30-122cm)
Lightbulb Plant: ~1' (30cm)
Magebell: 1'-12' (30-366cm) (tallest samples in the royal gardens in Ærilia)

Average Weight
Spongewool Plant: 5-12 lbs (2-5 kg)
Grabbing Fern: 3-10 lbs (1-4.5 kg)
Lightbulb Plant: 40-150 lbs (18-68 kg)
Magebell: 9-30 lbs (4-13.5 kg)



Average Length
Spongewool Plant: 5"-1' (15-30cm)
Grabbing Fern: 7'-15' (213-457cm)
Lightbulb Plant: 20'-75' (609-2286cm)
Magebell: 1'-6' (30-183cm)

Ecology and Habitats

Hyke plants are relatively sturdy, with the potential for swift evolutionary patterns through their generations. This means that the Hyke plant is at-home anywhere that has high levels of ambient Kyn in the air. However, the Hyke species that is accepted to be the sturdiest and most well adapted are the Hyke Levitus, otherwise known as Magebell, a species primarily found in the valley of Ærilia. This species features a collection of bell-like flowers that change color depending on the energy of the Kyn around them. This is the only species of Hyke plant that can live close to one another, as there's plenty of Kyn to go around. The Ærilian valley is a veritable well of magical energy, making it easy for this plant to thrive.
Magebell is also the official flower of Æ'ur, and featured in the royal gardens.

Biological Cycle

Due to the fact that Hyke plants don't need sunlight, these magical plants can grow without pause provided there is Kyn around. This gives the Hyke plant an incredible growing and maturation speed. They don't do well in cold weather, and tend to go dormant or even die off.
Different species reproduce different ways. The Spongewool plant has lightweight seeds that float on the wind, similar to dandelions. The Grabbing Fern will break off its stalks once it finds a suitable host, and grow new stalks from there while the old plant regrows the broken stalk. Lightbulb Plants can be confusing, as they have multiple points where they grow roots, and can stretch for miles, breaking contact with its parent once it reaches maturity to feed for itself.

Scientific Name

Hyke

Origin/Ancestry

Ruticae

Kyn Sense

Different Hyke plants respond in different ways to the ambient Kyn around them. Some, like the Grabbing Fern, will latch on and try to cling to any source of magic. Others like the Lightbulb Plant will glow. Botanists and Aerologists have theorized that these plants have the ability to feel when the Kyn in the world around them stirs, the same way that air moves whenever we do. Studies are still underway about this theory, but many Hyke plant species are employed as ways of alerting people to the state of the natural Kyn in the world around them.