The oxhide root is a rare type of rooted plant that can only be found on the island of Kvult. Oxhide root has some medicinal properties, though is primarily used in aphrodisiacs and fertility aids.
Description
The oxhide plant appears as a small bush, extending no more than five to six inches from the ground. Each plant tends to grow anywhere from zero to three flowers, with the number of flowers correlating to the size of the root. The flowers of an oxhide plant appear as mostly brown with white spots, similar to the hide of an ox or cow, earning the plant its name. The roots of the plant can extend up to one foot deep and up to two feet wide.
Uses
The oxhide plant was initially used as an ingredient in healing potions and tinctures, however their effects were often very minimal due to the amount of preparation required to process the oxhide plant effectively. The plant can also be used as a diluting agent in some poisions, though other more easily obtainable materials can be substituted with no loss in effectiveness.
The primary usage of the oxhide plant was discovered accidentally. An alchemist by the name of Madame Madelaine noticed a sudden increase in her town's population, specifically in regards to the number of people having children within a rather short time of one another. Initially thinking nothing of the phenomenon, Madelaine began to take notice when one of her friends announced the impending arrival of another child well before she should have been capable of conceiving. After months of study, she would trace the strange phenomenon back to the oxhide roots she had been using in some of her healing tinctures. Further research into the properties of the oxhide root revealed that they were capable of reducing the body's recovery time following childbirth, as well as causing a pheremonic reaction in males.
