Mandrake

Basic Information

Anatomy

Mandrakes, or in some areas 'Onion Men' are small, sentient vegetables that can be found all over the Fantasme, that are used as a food source, or in some cases, companions.
Mandrakes are known for their small stature and vaguely humanoid appearance, reminiscent of a doll, with large round head, pudgy body and stubby little legs. Their eyes and mouth are just glowing holes, reminiscent to a jack-o-lantern. They have long stem attached to leaves on their head.

Growth and Reproduction Cycle

Mandrake start from seeds that get buried deep with in the soil. They will first grow a bulb that is their head, and later the rest of their body, as a stem grows out of the dirt to collect sunlight. It takes about a month for a mandrake to grow to it's full size, when which it's stem will split at the top, and leaves will grow at the base of the plant, signifying that it is ready to be removed.
Mandrake can be easily removed from the ground with a stern pull on the stem. Other mandrake will often help pull new ones out, but if a mandrake is somehow alone, it will eventually be able to dig it's way out.
Mandrake live for a few years, and don't reporduce until they are of old age. When they reach peak maturity, their bodies will start to turn brown and dry out. The end of their stem will bloom a yellow, puff-ball shaped flower, that once pollinated, will explode into seeds, carried by the wind so they can spread. mandrake will often climb up somewhere high up before doing this in order to get better distance. Shortly after, the glow in their heads will fade and they will die.

Ecology and Habitats

The grow the best in temperate regions with lots of sun and rain. They require a lot of water after emerging, so they tend to prefer growing around bodies of water like ponds or streams.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Mandrakes do not need to eat, as they get their energy through photosynthesis. Mandrake need to spend at lot of time out in the sun and need to be watered frequently.

Biological Cycle

At night, when there is no sun, mandrake will stop moving. They will sit on the ground lifelessly with limp stems until the sun rises again. In the winter Mandrake will rebury themselves in the ground and hibernate through the season.
Those who like to go foraging for wild mandrake find that they are the easiest to catch during these times, as they won't run away, but the idea is to find their hiding spots first.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Mandrake tend to live in groups, and are often seen communicating with each other. Its unknown if these are just basic communication or if the creatures actually have a functioning language system. They are able to work together to achieve a collective goal, and even form bonds with members they are familiar with.

Average Intelligence

The mandrake are oddly intelligent for plants. They can walk around, interact with objects and living things, and even seem to form social groups among other mandrakes. They display emotions, can feel pain, and display forms of cognitive thought. They can even be quite mischievous and get into trouble, stealing things and escaping their fences.
It's been a hotly debated subject or whether mandrake should be classified as a plant or animal, or if it's considered sapient or not. This is made more confusing by their lack of a brain or any form of internal organs, as their entire bodies are just onion. They have boggled the minds of the scientific and magic community alike.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

It's unknown the extent of their sight, smell or hearing, as they don't really have any eyes, ears or nose.

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Classification

Flora

Type

Onion

Scientific Name

Allium Homonculi

Lifespan

4 Years

Average Height

1 foot

Average Weight

1.5 lbs

Domestication

Mandrakes are occasionally farmed, as they can be used as a source of food. Farmers will keep mandrake in fenced in gradens with easy access to sunlight and water. Some are eaten, while others are kept alive to reproduce at the end of their lives, and are treated almost like pets.

Uses, Byproducts & Exploitation

Mandrake are most often farmed as food. Their bodies are similar to onions, and taste similar as well, crunchy but sweeter and less of a kick. They are the best when they are still ripe and fresh, as older mandrakes tend to lose their flavor and have a very displeasing soft, chewy texture. This is the main reason why reproducing mandrakes are not eaten.