Nubigen

Nubigen is a is a highly sought plant that when synthesized is used in the creation of Nuathu. It was first discovered by the Shapeshifters who keep it's origin and usage a guarded secret from other species.

Basic Information

Anatomy & Morphology

The most distinctive part of Nubigen are the large bulb-like flowers, which have a fibrous texture inside said the resemble cotton or clouds. It has long roots that burrow deep into the ground. The flowering stage for the Nubigen is short, resulting in the best way to identify them is from their bushy leaf structure.

SYMBIOTIC ORGANISMS

Pseudomonas fibrae has formed a symbiotic relationship with Nubigen, colonizing the root system. The bacteria provides essential nutrients and growth factors for the plant, while benefiting from fluid excreted from the roots. This enhances the plant's ability to absorb nutrients and survive in the environment it's located. Nubigen that have Pseudomonas fibrae absent from their environment are shown to not grow as well, in addition to having a shorter and smaller flowering stage.

ECOLOGY AND HABITATS

Nubigen thrives in pockets within lush rainforests of Ratakon. The habitat is rich in moisture, resulting in a dense and misty atmosphere, which along with the warm temperatures allows the Nubigen to grow.

Symbolism & Myths

Due to it's use with the creation of Nuathu, the flower and colour of the Nubigen is a common symbol used by the shapeshifters when regarding medicine and medical practices.
Some myths and rumours that have spread between shapeshifters include a story of an individual who decided to eat a lot of Nubigen, which caused them to become completely invulnerable, but as a result lost their sense of touch and caused them go crazy.

Scientific Name

Nubigena Capitata

Conservation Status

Near Threatened

Cultivation and Usage

Due to it's picky requirements to grow, Nubigen is very difficult to cultivate in large quantities. It requires a carefully controlled environment to survive, including a precise combination of temperature, light and nutrition. In addition to this, Nubigen's symbiotic relationship with Pseudomonas fibrae further complicates things, as it's found only in it's natural habitat.
Shapeshifters have resorted to creating highly regulated artificial environments that specifically mimic the plant's native conditions. The few who are allowed to enter have to go through examinations before and after to prevent any potential contaminations to the environment, and a high penalty to to those who do enter without authorisation.

Extraction

For the creation of Nuathu, the fibrious material found in the Nubigen's flowers are carefully collected and processed into the specific medicinal chemicals needed.