Ghyll:Zhur Fruit

Description

Zhur shrubs usuallly stop growing at about 1/2 a unanit high and have small orange fruit which is very delicious but rots exactly one day after removal. It is one of the major members of the That-Looks-Delicious family.

Habitat

Zhur Shrubs were originally native to the Xurient. They are now cultivated here, and actually do quite well in the more humid regions of Ghyll.

Life cycle

The shrubs are known for their peculiar lives. One of the most unusual tendencies is the fact that they reproduce by growth, that is: they grow to a set limit, then the tops fall off and end up somewhere else, usually blown by the wind. The heads eventually stop and put down roots, usually at an obstacle that stops them. This is why there are so many of them at the feet of the Sarfelogian Mountains under the Keglacian-built roads, which are natural traps for them. Their fruit has no known purpose. They do not die unless they are starved or burned, and their fruit appears at completely random intervals.

Variant Species

There is one known variant, a hybrid between the shrubs and Pziqq trees. This hybrid is about half as tall and has blue fruit. The fruits are not quite as flavorful, but ship exceptionally well.

Uses

Because the fruit does not last more than one day after being picked, the fruits have no major economic importance. The fruits are even more popular than Fefferberries for their flavor, but because of the quick-rotting problem, there is no mass marketed beverage. They grow well, and are often found in yards in larger towns, and in the centers of some villages, to be plucked for parties. King Harandraff was rumored to have created a wine from half-rotten ones. This scholar was unable to find any other instance of this in research.

Citations: Xurient, Pziqq, Keglacians.

--Theophenes, 21:23, 21 Apr 2005 (EDT)