Yilik

Tree that bears yilik fruit, prized among the Kaushan. The fruit grow along the trunk.
Yilik fruit has a dark brown, smooth, hard shell 8–10 cm in diameter. The shell is about 2mm thick. Within is a milky white, soft, acrid smelling flesh and about a dozen smaller seeds. The seeds have a thick, dark purple skin. Inside, the flesh is sweet and creamy. It is used by the Kaushan as a special treat, delivered to the distant cities for the Yilik Festival.
The outer shell lasts for two–three years. Once opened, the seeds are sweet for a few weeks. The outer flesh is generally discarded. Or used for something else?

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

The yilik tree is the female of the species. The male is a desert plant known as the burrow cactus. Fertilization is facilitated by the īnībakīl, which creates a burrow in the burrow cactus where it lives for most of the year. Every year roughly one month before spring equinox, the īnībakīl all travel to the oasis of Ti'ilik Votoshī. They travel up the trunks of the yilik trees to mate, pollinating the blossoming flowers along the trunk. The īnībakīl return to the desert before the flowers turn to fruit.

Lifespan

60 years

Average Height

35´

Geographic Distribution

• Ti'ilik Votoshī

Related Ethnicities

• Kaushan