Blood Trillium

“Hmm. According to the Species Botanica, this pretty little flower is very rare and very delicate. We can tell that it’s a Blood Trillium by the three leaves and the little red speckles that look like little drops of blood have fallen on it. I’m sure they must confuse hunters all of the time. Anyway, it says that it is very poisonous and should never be eaten.”

— Bellrose Blackwood

The Blood Trillium is a delicate perennial flower that grows from its rhizome and completes its seasonal cycle early in the spring before the leaves of the trees can block out the sunlight. It then quickly goes dormant for the remainder of the year. It gets its name from the “blood” red speckles adorning its green, triangularly spaced, three leaves. Other names for trilliums include, Triflower, Wood Lily, Birthroot, Birthwort, Toadshade, and Wakerobin.
This particular species of trillium is known for its ability to produce a powerful compound in its leaves that some have harvested and processed into the potent drug known as Crimson. The most well-known organization to develop and distribute this drug are the three nations of the Triumvirate. This association has taken the Blood Trillium as its official flower and boldly display it as their state emblem.

Basic Information

Anatomy

This plant grows directly from an underground, thick, fleshy rhizome. In the early spring a thin green stalk grows upwards from the rhizome about twelve inches high and produces a whorl of three simple, bright green, spade shaped leaves with red speckling on them. Above the waxy leaves grows a flower consisting of three dark green sepals and three bright red petals. At the center of the flower are six stamen and three stigmas. Just before dormancy, a dark purple-black fleshy berrylike capsule is produced. This fruit holds the nine seeds and has an oily end that attracts insects to help disperse the seeds.

Genetics and Reproduction

This flowers main source of pollination is the wind and is often the subject of self-pollination. The plant will then produce a fleshy fruit or seed capsule that contains nine seeds inside. At the base of the fruit is an oily tip that attracts a variety of insects that will chew off the fruit and carry it to a new location. Ants are the insects that are most attracted to the oily tip, but yellow jackets, wasps, and some beetles will also try and take the fruit. These insects usually take the capsule to feed their young and then discard the seeds, greatly aiding in seed dispersal. The seeds then germinate and grow in the new locations.

Growth Rate & Stages

This is an extremely long lived flower that is slow to grow and slow to spread and may survive for a few decades if left undisturbed. With its long life comes a long maturity process. It eventually reaches maturity at around ten years old and is then able to produce seed capsules and viable seeds.

Ecology and Habitats

The Blood Trillium thrives in the partially shaded, southern temperate regions. It enjoys the fertile, moist, and well drained limestone soils of many deciduous woodlands. The high organic matter allows the plant to quickly gather up nutrients after the cold winters and store it before going dormant for the season.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Early in the season this trillium requires short days of cool, moist conditions and then during the latter part of the season it enjoys moderately long days of bright sunshine with moderate humidity and a moist, nutrient rich soil. Water and nutrients are taken in from and stored in the plants underground rhizome. During times of drought or loss of leaves, the plant can use this stored up food to help it survive.

Biological Cycle

As a spring ephemeral wildflower, the trillium blooms quickly in the spring in order to take advantage of the sunlight that reaches the forest floor before the tree leaves block out the light for the rest of the growing season. It gathers the suns energy quickly then dies back swiftly after producing flowers and developing seeds. Here it lives on its underground rhizome system for the remainder of the season before hibernating through the cold winter.

Additional Information

Domestication

This fragile plant cannot be transplanted once it has begun to grow in the wild. All attempts to move an established plant have resulted in the subsequent death of that plant. Instead the best way to move or grow the plant is by collecting the seeds and growing them in the desired location. It generally takes about 10 years for new seedlings to develop seed capsules that will produce viable seeds.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Before large scale cultivation by the Triumvirate, this flower had many uses. The newly grown leaves were often boiled and eaten when food was scarce. The poisonous berries were at one time given to people to induce vomiting after ingesting other more toxic poisons. A strong astringent tonic made from the rhizome was also used to control bleeding, especially for people who had just given birth, lending many people to nickname this plant Birthroot and Birthwort.
Today however, this plant is used for the much more nefarious purpose of producing an addictive, potent, euphoric stimulant called Crimson. Although many individuals and small organizations produce and distribute this drug in localized areas, none of them operate on such a large international scale as that of the Triumvirate nations. These three nations are close to cornering the market and actively seek to eliminate all competition no matter how small.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

These flowers can be found throughout the southeastern regions in the temperature zones. From Hook Horn Bay at the north to the Greyfire Fens in the south, to the San Grever River in the west.

Average Intelligence

As that of a plant.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Aside from the ants, yellow jackets, wasps and beetles eating the fruits tip and accidentally dispersing the seeds, other species affect the plant as well. Many varieties of leafhopper feed on the leaves and bring bacterial organisms. The bacteria often infects the plant through the damaged areas and causes subtle physical changes in the plant. Some plants will develop striped markings on the leaves or grow extra leaves or even on occasion produce double flowers. Although these changes make for interesting specimens, they are almost always detrimental to the plant and either cause it to become infertile or outright die.
Other significant pests include deer and rabbits. As they eat the leaves of the plant they ingest the toxic red crystals that are stored in the speckled parts of the agitated leaves. Within the rabbits and deer that eat the leaves, the chemicals produce elevated adrenaline, dilated and burst blood vessels, deep red eyes, and cause the animals to run around madly before expiring in a fit of aggression.

Scientific Name

Trillium Sanguis

Origin/Ancestry

Toadshade

Lifespan

May live up to 25 years if left undisturbed.

Conservation Status

In most locations this plant is not under any kind of governmental protection or conservation laws. However, within the lands of the Triumvirate it is illegal to pick, harm, or harvest the flower without written documentation from the government. Additionally the régime has declared that all natural consumers of the plant, such as deer and rabbits be eradicated within the areas that grow and cultivate the plant.

Average Height

Approximately 12 inches high.

Average Length

Usually the plant has a spread of 12 inches across from leaf tip to leaf tip.

Average Physique

This flower consists of three spade shades leaves that are equidistantly spaced in a triangular shape atop its singular stem. Above the leaves will form a singular three petal flower that will eventually produce a fruitlike seed capsule.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

This plant consist of three bright green leaves that develop deep red speckles throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Centered above the leaves is a bright red flower consisting of three petals. In the fall a seed filled, dark purple-black berry or capsule forms.

Geographic Distribution

• The Viker Kaare River

Defense:

This plant has delicate microscopic hairs that trigger an unusual defensive system within the plant. When the hairs are agitated or broken the plant begins to develop and collect poisonous, red micro crystals within pockets in its leaves. These pockets are believed to be grown in order to deter animals from eating them and to cause the animals that have eaten them to be driven away quickly before they can eat any other trilliums.

Modifications:

This plant has undergone a subtle yet important modification by the Troikan Wizards of the Triumvirate. What was once a rapidly sprouting and blooming flower that was even quicker to go dormant, has been altered to maintain its leaves and growth throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons before becoming inactive for the winter. This lengthened period has allowed the plant to grow larger and develop more numerous and more potent “blood spots”.

Harvesting:

The leaves can be harvested immediately after the first frost without doing permanent harm to the plant. At this time, the red “blood spots" can be cut out, dried, ground, and refined into the potent drug known as Crimson.