Neopian Botany 101

     As a novice botanist, walking through a forest can feel like a portal into an unknown world. A sea of green (although in Darigan wild areas, it's more purple and red than green) waves to you in the light breeze, all seemingly the same. But what if I told you that every plant holds secrets to be unlocked? The key is the study of botany.

     Just as one recognises a friend by their freckles, their laugh, or their fuzzy mop of hair, you can use a unique collection of traits to identify an unknown plant species.

     Start by looking for patterns and group species into categories based on their shared traits. It's just like a game of Hungry Skeith, where you keep the red, blue, and green jellies in their own bins. From there, continue separating each group until you're left with only one option. That's what we science lovers call a dichotomous key!

     I’ll describe each pattern with visual species examples. And as plant-loving Neopians use a lot of jargon, I'll be defining the terms that I use.

     Alternate vs Opposite branching

     Opposite - as the tree grows new branches, they form buds directly across from one another. This creates a "t" shape at every intersection.

     Alternate - as the tree grows new branches, they form buds diagonally from one another. Think of it like a zigzag pattern.

     Most trees in the tri-kingdom area (Darigan Citadel, Meridell, Brightvale, respectively) tend to have alternate branching. If a tree has opposite branches, that can be a good way of differentiating it from similar-looking species. The most prominent opposite trees are Maple, Ash, and Lupewood, the mnemonic of which is MAL. Red Maple in particular tends to have red buds and stems, and turns a brilliant scarlet in the fall. Ash can have greenish bark or look lichen-covered. And Lupewood is known for its large, white flowers with four (or sometimes five) petals.

      If a tree has alternate branching, don't fret. There are still many ways to identify it, including by comparing leaf shape. Here we will include three different common leaf shapes present in Neopia: entire, serrated, and lobed.

      Entire Leaves

     Entire leaves are rounded and have the quintessential potato shape. Some have parallel veins or long straight lines that run the length of the leaf.

     Mistletoe plant is a common understory shrub (a shade-tolerant woody-stemmed plant that grows beneath the tallest trees) in Brightvale and Meridell. It can reach heights of 10 feet (or about 3 meters) and produces berries that avian petpets, including the Crokabek, depend on during the winter when other food resources are scarce. Interestingly, this species varies in other lands, with the Darigan Citadel subspecies having spikier berries and purple-hued leaves.

     Serrated Leaves

     Serrated leaves are those with little "teeth" along the edges. And don't worry, they don't bite. Well, most of them don't bite. There are a few enchanted plants in the Haunted Woods that will try to eat the paw that touches it... But, I digress. Serrated leaves can have many teeth or only a few. And the frequency of their teeth can be a helpful hint to their identification.

     Coleus Aromaticus is an introduced herb from a mountain land called Shenkuu. Traders from the tri-kingdom area sought cures for their maladies through international exchange, sometimes leading them on long journeys for medicine. This particular plant is known to cure what Brightvale scholars have called the "Jitters".

     Another species with this leaf shape pattern is the droopy maple. As this is a maple, it has opposite branching and can be separated from similar species by its stout appearance, droopy leaves, and its rather odd propensity to grow no more than five leaves at a time. This shrub is small, and is a popular landscape species in Meridell gardens because of its bright yellow, red, green and orange colours. As it tolerates low-quality soil (some scholars believe this is because it only produces five leaves, allowing it to sequester more energy into large root systems), it also adorns the pleasure gardens of Darigan nobility.

      Lobed Leaves

     Lobed leaves are ones with indentations, such as what we see in this oak leaf. There's variation in terms of how much waviness or spikiness is found in these leaves, with some having a combination of serrations and lobes. One such example is the red oak, which has both indentations and teeth that come up to a point at each tip.

     Oaks are particularly long-lived trees, with the grandest being over 700 years in age. In fact, some of the oldest trees found in the Brightvale Scholar Memorial Park predate the creation of the city. Darigan historians have shown evidence of ancient oaks in our soils that have long since disappeared or gone dormant. Collaborative research with Brightvale University and Citadel College hopes to one day introduce an oak that can tolerate the soil conditions found around the present-day fortress.

     Our lab in particular has had success in finding dormant seeds and growing them in Brightvale soils cut with variable percentages of citadel loam. It is our goal to create a hardy cultivar that can tolerate, or better yet, thrive within the citadel. Our people will once again enjoy their ancestral connection to our lost species; that is my pledge as a Darigan botanist.

     Basics of Flower Identification

     Flowers capture the hearts of Neopians, beckoning our gaze as they adorn tables, studies, and forest floors with their beauty. There are countless species to learn about with their own sets of challenges. But let's start with the basics of differentiating between large groups of species. Keep in mind that not all flower species will be in bloom at the same time, and few will bloom during the winter.

     Symmetry

     Radial symmetry or bilateral (also called irregular) symmetry is present in most Neopian flowers. By symmetry, we mean that if an invisible line cuts through the centre of the flower, both sides would look exactly the same. For radial species, any number of lines can be drawn to create two symmetrical halves. Flowers with irregular symmetry can only be split one way.

      Orchids are a good example of a flower with irregular symmetry. Combine that with their basal leaves (i.e. they only have leaves at the bottom of the stem near the ground) and the parallel veins that run along their basal leaves, and you'll be able to spot an orchid from a mile away.

     For radially symmetrical flowers, you may count their petals and use that as an indication of what family groups they're a part of. Oftentimes, flower families have a similar or the same number of petals. This can be used as another indicator of species. For more information on this, check out a botanical guide written by Dr. Newcomb of Brightvale.

      Below are examples of different species representing petal quantities:

     3 petals on each flower

     Feather weeds grow low to the ground in large patches. Notice their tricoloured petals and their propensity to grow in places with high levels of disturbance. This quality has made it successful in colonising Citadel gardens.

     Four petals on each flower

     Jewel Blossoms, also known by Darigan nobility as Sapphire Spring, is a flower of the Meridellian lowlands. In early April, these flowers carpet the forest floor in places where the correct environmental conditions persist. This has led to ecotourism for the areas in which they are most abundant. Once common, this flower is frequently poached and sold to nobles from other nations. As such, large populations are often under close watch by local botanists to keep them from being exploited.

     Six petals on each flower

      As with many lilies, this flower has six petals. This species is a recent export from the southern island regions and is mostly found in greenhouses or orangeries within the tri-kingdom. It is relatively easy to propagate, which has made it very popular. Keep an eye out for other lily species, including the spotted yellow lily, which is common in wetlands during the springtime in Meridell and Brightvale.

     Eight or more petals on each flower

     The Summer Bush, as its name suggests, is abundant in upland sunny spots during the peak of summer. It has a pungent smell that is very popular in perfume. During the fall, its dried blossoms are used as decorations during harvest festivals. Look for its many overlapping petals during the hottest days of the year.

     ~x~

     When you take time to study plants, they become like old friends. Even from a distance, you'll know one from the other from a quick glance… just as you can recognise a parent or a sibling from the way they talk or a friend from their purple and banana yellow socks.

      The next time you're out in nature, when a tree waves to you, wave back. And never stop learning.

     Dr. Hollyhock, Citadel College botanist