Daylong Flower

Commenty commenty goodness!

The flowers of the Daylong, blossoms of a few nailsbredths length in bright yellow, purple and blue, growing along the short stems in the shade near whatever water they can find are a common enough sight throughout eastern and central Santharia. <- I would split that sentence into two, it's a bit hard to understand as it is. The bolstering effect of the leaves of this plant is often prescribed as a remedy for those suffering from Sleep-Ill.

Description
The stem of a Daylong flower stands some two palmspans tall, with a cluster of broad green leaves at the bottom, leaving plenty of room for upwards of a dozen tiny flowers. Depending on the region the flower is growing, these flowers may have a different colour than others. Flowers grown in Sanguia tend to be purple, while the Manthrian province produces bright blue flowers. Flowers growing closer to Ximax have been known to be a cheerful shade of yellow, and these plants are said to produce the best tea. Mmmm, teeeeea

The flowers of the Daylong are only a few nailsbredths in size, and are bell-shaped, hanging downwards on the stem of the flower. The blossoms number anywhere between fourteen and twenty to a single stem, often appearing in "triangular" clusters of three all at the same height. You say in the previous paragraph that there are "upwards of a dozen", which doesn't seem to suggest 14-20 flowers.

The leaves of the Daylong Flower, from which the medicine is derived are roughly a half palmspan across and a full palmspan long. These leaves possess thin, almost sharp, edges like those of some wild grasses, and a thick centre, which is the source of Daylong Tea. Nice touch, because I now know exactly which part to pop in my teapot.

Territory
Daylongs grow throughout Central Sarvonia, from the tip of Xaramon, across Sanguia and to the eastern coasts of Manthria. They are known to best grow in shade in close proximity to water. One can find clouds of Daylong Flowers bursting along the side of the Mashdai resevoir and it's tributaries, while the flower is less abundant in the west.

Daylong Flowers do not grow well in dry soil or in direct sunlight. In fact, an interesting side-effect of overexposure to the sun is that Daylong flowers will turn white. Purple flowers are particularly susceptible to this condition which is thought to weaken the medicinal properties of the plant.

Usages
The primary use of the Daylong Flowers is as a remedy to various sleep related ailments. Trimming the leaves of the flower back to the center and boiling them produces a startlingly green "tea". Nothing is to be added to this tea, since it apparently weakens the bitter brew's potency. Daylong Tea is most often given to sufferers of Sleep-Ill, to help them stay awake, but it is favoured by watchmen and scholars as well, since it helps them in their often late pursuits. Or perhaps taken by people who want to party all night? Like....little Brownies at one of their festivals? I also quite want to make the flowers into festival hats too, they'd be just about the right size. Please oh please can I have some in the Vale? We have water and shade.

Imbibers and healers should be well warned that Daylong Tea should only be consumed in an amount of no more than two tots day. The drink seems to have an arvious property and many find themselves with a growing habit should they abuse the substance. In addition the effects of Daylong Tea may begin to lessen with each dose, should one exceed the the recommended dosage.

The flowers of the Daylong themselves are favoured by many, since they tend to grow so abundantly and are used to add colour to bouquets. Some gardeners have been known to grow Daylong flowers in the sunlight for the express purpose of "bleaching" the flowers to use in bouquets, while most prefer the bright blue "Manthrian" Daylongs.

Reproduction
The seeds of the Daylong flower are released during the late summer, when the flowers begin to wilt. The seeds are hidden behind the base of the flowers, just on the outside of the stem as they mature. These seeds often find themselves deposited in waterways, where they float along to another section of the bank and colonize the area within a few seasons. For this reason, birds can often be seen to "eat" the flower petals, which appears to be another method of transplanting the seeds from place to place. The seeds are notoriously hard to digest, and will be deposited by the birds when they defecate.

Myth/Lore
The Daylong Flower is named for the properties of the brew made from it's leaves, which allow the imbiber to stay awake "all day long". Some warn that overuse of Daylong Tea may cause the drinker to fall victim to longer and longer periods of sleep until they eventually fail to wake up. Eek, scary.

The poem included has not been attributed to an author, but it is presumed that they partook of at least some Daylong Tea to describe it's effects.

I hear the chilly nightwinds blow
Above, the round white moon's a-glow.
My thought run wild; I can't lie still
Though I should be asleep, I know.

I rise, glance quickly where the spill
of moonlight washes o'er the hill
I dress and walk into the night
go past the houses, past the mill

Into a meadow where my sight
Is filled with Daylong blossoms bright
Into the fertile field I creep
and steal a stalk of ample height.

I bring it swiftly to my keep
The leaves I cut, then boil and steep--
Until the plant once under toe
At last allows me peaceful sleep.

Nice touch! thumbup

Great entry overall Valan, I really like this little plant. I would also really like to find some uses for it in the Vale of Brownies around festival time - brightly coloured hats and a "staying awake" tea. Let me know what you think - I could even write a little myth for you if you wanted one.