Chief Librarian
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To sub a plant that can be used for various purposes.
- Image Credit: Flavio Greco Paglia
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Awapuhi
- Name: Zingiber, sometimes shorted to just "zing"
- Origins: Pylos Satnik
- Other Locations: N/A
- Classification: Flower
- Average Growth Cycle: 10 months
- Viability: Full sun to partial shade; nutrient-rich, well draining soil; slightly acidic to neutral soil pH. Prefer warm and tropical climates, but are hardier than most tropical plants. Once harvested, it must be kept in a cooler, dry place. Freezing it will preserve specimens indefinitely, but may damage the quality of the product.
- Description: A plant with large pinecone-esque flowers. The flowers produce a gel-like substance that can be harvested (traditionally by squeezing the flower) for use in food and other products. The raw gel makes an excellent shampoo and conditioner; boiling it in water makes a moisturizer for skin. Mixing or churning it causes the gel to become an opaque yellowish-white with a texture reminiscent of milk or cream. It can then be added to foods as a base for sauces, soups, stews, or for frying.
- Average Height: 4 feet 4 inches (1.32 meters)
- Average Length: N/A
- Color: The plant starts out green, then becomes a dark pink as it matures.
- Nutritional Value: Rich in nutrients, the gel-like juice of the zingiber can be boiled, churned, or otherwise treated to craft various foods.
- Toxicity: It has no ill effects whatsoever.
- Other Effects: The juice of the plant can also be used for hair and skincare.
- Distinctions: There are a few different types of zingiber, with the most common being the average sized, pink flowered ones pictured. They come in different sizes, from giant to the size of a small houseplant, and the flowers can be purple, red, or blue.
- Fruit of the Gods: Zingiber is a highly versatile plant with many beneficial uses.
- Tough: Notoriously hard to kill, the plant is resistant to disease and can cling to life even if conditions of the soil change.
- Peculiar: Attempts at growing zingiber outside of Pylos Satnik have proven unsuccessful, though it isn't clear why. The seeds simply do not sprout unless they are planted in Pylantian soil.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Zingiber, which means "fruit of the gods" in the Common Tongue, has been widely cultivated for thousands of years. It serves primarily as a source of food, as it can be treated for use in various dishes. It is also a common ingredient of skin and hair care products, with some calling it the "shampoo plant".
With the arrival of advanced galactic technologies, the production of zingiber has increased dramatically. Droid labor can be used to cultivate and harvest the plant in much larger quantities than before. Surplus crops are being sold offworld to great profit for the Pylantian farmers who grow them.
