Sivihrelmi-kasvi

The "teal pearl" plant.

It’s a rather unassuming plant at first glance. Relatively small, without the flowers it looks like a bush with not that many leaves. With them like a decent garden plant. The flowers themselves are nice, but aren’t like incredibly pretty or anything of the sorts. It’s the inside of it that’s the true beauty of this plant. For when that flower opens, it reveals a seed that resembles a teal pearl. That’s what makes it profitable. That’s what makes it beautiful.

description of the plant in a travel journal

The Sivihrelmi-kasvi, Sivika for short, is a type of plant farmed for its hard-case seeds, which are praised for their teal colour and resemblance in shape and texture to pearls. These are often used in jewelery making.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The plant consists of a thick main trunk from which singular branches jot out to the sides, progressively shorter when going up the trunk. Leaves grow only at the bases and ends of these branches, with the space inbetween for flowers. The leaves are usually between 20 to 25 centimeters in length and have a rounded, fan-like shape. Flowers start from a circular small buds of green colouration from which then blue petals grow out of as the flower develops. A fully matured flower consists of a central "chamber", where the seed will grow in, long petals that close it off until the seed is ready and three wire-like stems that act as both the stamen and carpel.

Ecology and Habitats

The Sivika is usually found in colder, hilly regions of the Central and Eastern continents. It grows on hill side soil rich in nitrogen and cobalt, both of which it especially needs to grow healthy and produce seeds.

by Own work

Sketch of the plant with adnotations

Average Height

1.2-1.8 meters.

"Teal pearl"

The seed for which the Sivka is farmed is often used as a cheaper substitute for blue gems or as an independent prime element of jewelery or ornamental furniture. This is thanks to its distinct teal colour and matte, pearl-like texture which the seed gets from a layer of aragonite the plant produces as a deterring chemical. Many families in smaller villages and towns in the northern regions, where the conditions for the plant are optimal, rely almost wholly on the export of this seed to support themselves.