Valued for its beauty and ability to help control insects, the Lady Fingers is sought after by many. Its rigid stem and elegantly shaped petal, tipped in bright red, resemble the shape of a slender finger, the nail enameled, hence the name of the flower.

Appearance. Elegantly perched atop a rigid stem that averages 1 fore, the two, brilliantly white petals curl about a taller third, also a brilliant white tipped in red, to form a rough tube 1 palmspan in height. The taller petal's red tip attracts small flying insects, luring them into the sticky nectar that the Lady Fingers produce. The insect is then dissolved by the plant providing sustenance. Inside the curled petals are the bright yellow pistils, inactive save for the breeding season. Another notable feature of the Lady Fingers is the long twin fronds. Dark green, like the stem, they flow two, sometimes three fores from the stem. Extending from the midpoint, one above the other on the opposite side of the stem, these help extend the area in which the plant can take on water, via a single vein that runs the length of the underside of the frond, nectar.

Territory. Originating in the quiet pools of Mashdai River in the northern Auturian Woods, the Lady Fingers only requires water, mild temperatures and an abundance of insects for survival. As such marshes, swamps and deltas can also allow the plant to thrive, providing all this plant needs. Travellers through the Auturian Woods have brought the plant down into Marcogg and other cities and villages along the Mashdai River, where the seeds of the Lady Fingers have found their ways into the quiet pools along falls that flow through Marcogg. You might also find Lady Fingers at the Seanian Swamps, the the Silvermarshes or the Thaehelvil Delta.

Usages. The primary usage of the Lady Fingers is pest control. Avennorian housewives in particular cultivate the plant to keep out the common fly and other bothersome insects. The nectar of the Lady Fingers Plant is sweet and the plant produces a few grades. The highest grade, drawn at dry spells and reproduction times, is the sweetest and thickest, thus very highly prized in High circles.

Common uses for the higher qualities range from adding a sweet touch to hot teas for the middle grades, which are still liquid, to a spread on breads for the higher grades, which are a thick consistency.

Reproduction. Unlike many plants, the Lady Fingers doesn't have a set reproduction cycle. As water levels drop during hot/dry summers, the nectar of the Lady Fingers dries up and exposes the pistils. Air activates the pistils and the drop of nectar level allows insects to enter the flower, drink nectar from the walls of the plant while the pollen is embedded in their furry legs. As the insect moves from plant to plant, pollinating as it goes, the Lady Fingers shrivel, the petals collapsing on itself forming a hard, protective, grey cocoon. Averaging 30 days from the time of pollination, number of seeds have multiplied to the point the cocoon can't hold them inside any longer. Exploding with a sharp, though quiet pop, The seeds are allowed to float away on the breezes on feathery stalks. The plant then lies dormant until the weather becomes wet again then grows a new set of petals and continues.