Post by Phly on Mar 4, 2009 2:10:22 GMT -6
The plants best-known to humans residing on Pern are those that are useful. There are several types of plants which are edible to humans, including the redfruit tree, which produces a red, plum-like fruit, and the klah tree, whose bark is infused like coffee into a stimulant beverage reminiscent of chocolate, coffee and cinnamon. Native medicinal plants include dragon's tongue, which produces a gel similar to aloe; the needlethorn, whose hollow thorns can be used as hypodermic needles; numbweed, a strong analgesic plant that is made into a cream that numbs small wounds completely, and dulls larger wounds; and fellis, which produces a juice used as a soporific drug.
Most of the plants introduced by Pernese colonists are providers of food, fiber or medicine. Most grains, vegetable crops, and fruit trees were imported to Pern, as were a wide variety of herbs and fiber plants such as flax and cotton. Notably, the Pernese lack chocolate and coffee plants.
The botanists raised seedlings of all Earth trees in the hydroponic labs. The gingko and cottonwood trees did well in open plains, breaking the ground and providing shelter for the oak and pine seedlings planted in their shade. Ash, rowan, and scrub pine went into the higher reaches, and willow trees grew on the wet river banks.
Earth-type grass was adapted for the animals to eat until they were sufficiently used to Pernese grassoid. In the Ninth Pass, isolated patches of grass still survive on the Southern Continent. Many types of Earth and First Centauri trees reseeded themselves on grubbed ground and can still be found scattered among the Pernese types.
All of the types of Terran grains and legumes did well in the rich native soil. The first crops planted were fodder for the newly bred herds of imported grazers. Packaged organisms that would react symbiotically with the local bacteria were introduced into the soil to make native grasses palatable to the imported animals. The concentrations of boron, rendered inactive, simply passed through their digestive systems.
Mushrooms were raised by the colonists side by side with edible native fungi in the caves that riddled the palisade overlooking the Jordan River. Apples, pears, wine grapes, and numerous other fruits adapted easily to the Pernese soil.
All the medicinal and cooking herbs, among them tarragon, rosemary, lovage (for coughs), borage, thyme, coriander, nutmegoid bark from Firts Centauri (Earth nutmeg didn't translate well), willow for headaches, and hazel for the skin, were grown from seed drawn from the agronomy stores, and thrived in Pernese soil.
Though treats were rare as the supplies dwindled, the bakers created little hand-sized one-crust pies for the children from bits of sweet dough and berries. Survivor species such as blueberries (which make the most popular bubblies), blackberries, raspberries, and gooseberries still survive in the present Pass.
It was a spacer tradition to begin distilling liquor as soon as possible when reaching a new planet. It became a measure of every holder or each expedition to make "quikal" almost immediately. The administration trusted the colonists not to use plants that had not been checked for toxicity, but those fruits that had tested safe went promptly into the stills. Some fo the imported fruits had a very high sugar content and made enormously powerful quikal. The local fruit made potable drinks, and everyone traded crocks of his or her particular brew.
Most of the plants introduced by Pernese colonists are providers of food, fiber or medicine. Most grains, vegetable crops, and fruit trees were imported to Pern, as were a wide variety of herbs and fiber plants such as flax and cotton. Notably, the Pernese lack chocolate and coffee plants.
The botanists raised seedlings of all Earth trees in the hydroponic labs. The gingko and cottonwood trees did well in open plains, breaking the ground and providing shelter for the oak and pine seedlings planted in their shade. Ash, rowan, and scrub pine went into the higher reaches, and willow trees grew on the wet river banks.
Earth-type grass was adapted for the animals to eat until they were sufficiently used to Pernese grassoid. In the Ninth Pass, isolated patches of grass still survive on the Southern Continent. Many types of Earth and First Centauri trees reseeded themselves on grubbed ground and can still be found scattered among the Pernese types.
All of the types of Terran grains and legumes did well in the rich native soil. The first crops planted were fodder for the newly bred herds of imported grazers. Packaged organisms that would react symbiotically with the local bacteria were introduced into the soil to make native grasses palatable to the imported animals. The concentrations of boron, rendered inactive, simply passed through their digestive systems.
Mushrooms were raised by the colonists side by side with edible native fungi in the caves that riddled the palisade overlooking the Jordan River. Apples, pears, wine grapes, and numerous other fruits adapted easily to the Pernese soil.
All the medicinal and cooking herbs, among them tarragon, rosemary, lovage (for coughs), borage, thyme, coriander, nutmegoid bark from Firts Centauri (Earth nutmeg didn't translate well), willow for headaches, and hazel for the skin, were grown from seed drawn from the agronomy stores, and thrived in Pernese soil.
Though treats were rare as the supplies dwindled, the bakers created little hand-sized one-crust pies for the children from bits of sweet dough and berries. Survivor species such as blueberries (which make the most popular bubblies), blackberries, raspberries, and gooseberries still survive in the present Pass.
It was a spacer tradition to begin distilling liquor as soon as possible when reaching a new planet. It became a measure of every holder or each expedition to make "quikal" almost immediately. The administration trusted the colonists not to use plants that had not been checked for toxicity, but those fruits that had tested safe went promptly into the stills. Some fo the imported fruits had a very high sugar content and made enormously powerful quikal. The local fruit made potable drinks, and everyone traded crocks of his or her particular brew.