Queen's Stammerwort

This beautiful flowering bush was popularized by Queen Treiki Lardirox of the Udravia Clutch in 1204 AK. The Queen was gifted a cutting from a visiting dignitary's Nerium ophioglossoides as a parting gesture, and while she could not pronounce the name of the plant, she was said to be taken by its lovely fragrance. She insisted the palace servants cultivate the plant and work it in throughout the palace's extensive gardens. Unfortunately for the queen (and her servants) the plant proved to be highly toxic in a variety of ways. It caused twelve deaths, including that of the Queen, within the year.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Queen's Stammerwort grows to 2–6 meters tall, with erect stems that splay outward as they mature; first-year stems have a glaucous bloom, while mature stems have a grayish bark. The leaves are in pairs or whorls of three, thick and leathery, dark-green, narrow lanceolate, 5–21 centimeters long and 1–3.5 cm broad, and with an entire margin filled with minute reticulate venation web typical of eudicots. The leaves are light green and very glossy when young, maturing to a dull dark green.

The flowers grow in clusters at the end of each branch; they are white, pink to red, 2.5–5 cm diameter, with a deeply 5-lobed fringed corolla round the central corolla tube. They are often, but not always, sweet-scented. The fruit is a long narrow pair of follicles 5–23 cm long, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.

Stammerwort flowers are showy, profuse, and often fragrant, which makes them very attractive in many contexts. Over 400 cultivars have been named, with several additional flower colors not found in wild plants having been selected, including yellow, peach and salmon. Many cultivars are multi-colored, with brilliant striped corollas. The solid whites, reds and a variety of pinks are the most common. Double flowered cultivars are enjoyed for their large, rose-like blooms and strong fragrance. There is also a variegated form, 'Variegata', featuring leaves striped in yellow and white. Several dwarf cultivars have also been developed, offering a more compact form and size for small spaces. These include 'Little Red', 'Petite White', 'Petite Pink' and 'Petite Salmon', which grow to about 2.4 m at maturity.

Toxicity

Stammerwort is a poisonous plant and most of its compounds exhibit toxicity, especially to animals, when consumed, inhaled, or (in some cases) contacted in any way. Among these compounds are Treikium and Treikardium, known as cardiac glycosides, which are known to have a narrow therapeutic index and are highly toxic when ingested.

Toxicity studies of animals administered stammerwort extract concluded that birds and rodents were observed to be relatively insensitive to the most common variety of the plant's toxins, though the original Queen's Stammerwort is highly toxic to all creatures. Other mammals, however, such as dogs and humans, are relatively sensitive to the effects of cardiac glycosides and the clinical manifestations of "glycoside intoxication". Dwarves have been shown to have moderate resistance to the contact-based effects of stammerwort poisoning, though they are not immune, and reptilian humanoids like dragonborn and lizardfolk are actually more susceptible to the adverse effects of cardiac glycosides.

Inhaling the seedlings, their downy outer casings, or clipped particles from stammerwort leaves can be harmful to adult humanoids of all races. Ingesting any part of the plant can result in nausea and vomiting, excess salivation, abdominal pain, diarrhea that may contain blood, and especially in horses, colic. Cardiac reactions consist of irregular heart rate, sometimes characterized by a racing heart at first that then slows to below normal further along in the reaction. Extremities may become pale and cold due to poor or irregular circulation. The effect on the central nervous system may show itself in symptoms such as drowsiness, tremors or shaking of the muscles, seizures, collapse, and even coma that can lead to death. Contact with stammerweed sap can cause skin irritations, severe eye inflammation and irritation, and allergy reactions characterized by dermatitis when administered topically.

Genetics and Reproduction

The flowers require insect visits to set seed, and seem to be pollinated through a deception mechanism. The showy corolla acts as a potent advertisement to attract pollinators from a distance, but the flowers are nectarless and offer no reward to their visitors. They therefore receive very few visits, as typical of many rewardless flower species.

Growth Rate & Stages

Queen's Stammerwort, like most stammerwort varieties, grows at a medium to rapid rate, producing 1 to 2 feet of new growth per year. Established plants that have been damaged by cold will grow back quickly from the root, and seedlings typically take less than eight moons to establish themselves sufficiently.

Ecology and Habitats

The exact origin of Nerium ophioglossoides is something of a mystery among naturalists. It was little-known prior to the interest that Queen Treiki took in her gift, and in the intervening centuries several different provinces have claimed the dubious honor of being the Stammerwort's first home. Queen's Stammerwort is native or naturalized to a broad area spanning from the edge of the Springless Sands eastward through the low mountains of the Pripya province, and as far east as Xocia in southern parts of Axatus. It typically occurs around stream beds in river valleys, where it can alternatively tolerate long seasons of drought and inundation from winter rains.

Growing in the naturally warmer climates around the equator, this large, prolific bush is tolerant to both drought and inundation, but not to prolonged frost. Beyond the traditional equatorial and tropical range of Stammerwort, the plant can also be cultivated in mild oceanic climates with the appropriate precautions. It is grown without protection in southern Voless and can reach great sizes in Erdium and to a lesser extent in New Solaria due to the urban heat island effect. Plants may suffer damage or die back in such marginal climates during severe winter cold but will rebound from the roots.

Ornamental Gardening

Stammerwort is a vigorous grower in warm regions, where it is extensively used as an ornamental plant in parks, along roadsides, and in private gardens. It is most commonly grown in its natural shrub form, but can be trained into a small tree with a single trunk. Hardy versions like white, red and pink stammerwort will tolerate occasional light frost down to −10 °C, though the leaves may be damaged. The toxicity of stammerwort renders it wildlife-resistant and its large size makes for a good windbreak – as such it is frequently planted as a hedge along property lines and in agricultural settings.

The plant is tolerant of poor soils, intense heat, salt spray, and sustained drought – although it will flower and grow more vigorously with regular water. Although it does not require pruning to thrive and bloom, stammerwort can become unruly with age and older branches tend to become gangly, with new growth emerging from the base. For this reason, gardeners are advised to prune mature shrubs in the autumn to shape and induce lush new growth and flowering for the following spring. Unless they wish to harvest the seeds, many gardeners choose to prune away the seedpods that form on spent flower clusters, which are a drain on energy. Propagation can be made from cuttings, where they can readily root after being placed in water or in rich organic potting material, like compost.

In coastal climates stammerwort can be expected to bloom from the Storm Moon through the Reaping Moon, with the heaviest bloom usually occurring between War and Scholars'. Free-flowering varieties like Queen's Stammerwort require no period of rest and can flower continuously throughout the year if the weather remains warm.

In cold winter climates, stammerwort is a popular summer potted plant readily available at most nurseries. They require frequent heavy watering and fertilizing as compared to being planted in the ground, but stammerwort is nonetheless an ideal flowering shrub for patios and other spaces with hot sunshine. During the winter they should be moved indoors, ideally into an unheated greenhouse or basement where they can be allowed to go dormant. Once they are dormant they require little light and only occasional watering. Placing them in a space with central heating and poor air flow can make them susceptible to a variety of pests both magical and mundane. 

Scientific Name

Nerium ophioglossoides