Though the Lone-lands are mostly dry, there are still some spots where the soil remembers, if distantly, a time when it was straddled by rivers and probably more fertile. Like its people, the flora of the Lone-lands consists of hardy, unwelcoming survivors, usually gnarled and often thorny. By far the majority of plants here are grasses that do not reach above the ankle.
Grasses
Sagebrush: One of the most plentiful plants in the Lone-lands, sagebrush can rise to the height of a woody shrub reaching to mid-shin, but more often, its stem is not visibly woody, and it appears like a tall, dry grass, reaching above the ankle. If dried, it can be burned for heat, though it gives off a strong scent (which drives away animals, but if you are not careful to stay upwind, may drive you away as well). Sagebrush can be identified by its pale green color and triangular leaves, thick and wedge-like in shape, as well as its aroma, and fine grey hair-like growths. Dense clusters of sagebrush may be the nesting ground of the sage grouse (see the Fauna chapter) which make a fine meal.
Bunchgrass: Typically yellow grass notable for growing in thick clumps, bunchgrass provides the majority of the ground cover in Nain Enidh and the dryer parts of Talath Gaun, though it does not grow on the slopes of either the Weather Hills or the South Downs, and it is rarely seen in the deepest clefts of dried ancient riverbeds. It is gathered to weave into baskets, and sometimes into strips that are used to hold bandages or poultices in place. When dry, it can be useful as tinder.
Cheatgrass: Can be distinguished from bunchgrass in that it doesn't grow in bunches. By summer it is green, but it's more brown most of the year. Cheatgrass mostly fills in the gaps between and below other plants, but is more eager to grow up the sides of hills. Has no real purpose (even horses do not care much for it, though they will eat it if there's nothing else).
Fountain Grass: Notable for its purple color at the peak, this grass typically only grows to ankle height, but scattered clusters may reach hip-height (if not grazed). It is more common nearer the road than in either deep or high places. Though its purple color adds a welcome contrast to the yellows and browns of most other plants of the Lone-lands, it serves no other purpose (save being food for birds, rabbits, boars, and other plant-eating animals).
Sweet Vernal: A short grass which, in early spring, grows tall shoots capped with a long, thin cluster of seeds, sweet vernal mostly grows in the low clefts that once were riverbeds or ponds. If gathered while blossoming and dried, it produces a powerful hay-like scent (somewhat sweet) which tends to keep insects at bay. Nearly all grazing creatures love it, but especially the boar.
Feather Grass: The thinnest-stemmed of the Lone-lands grasses, this unassuming green grass is the most preferred by horses. The experienced scout watches its swaying motion, as its slender stems easily dance in the wind, because motion contrary to the wind suggests the presence of creatures like rabbits and foxes (which can provide a welcome meal and useful furs).
Trees
Yew: A needle-leafed plant bearing red berries, that may spread and become a bush or reach instead to the height of a tree, the yew is one of the most plentiful of trees in the Lone-lands (though that's not saying much, as trees grow few in number in these dry conditions). It typically grows on hilltops. The Eglain use yew primarily for firewood and making bows, and in both cases, rely solely on dead-fall; trees are too few to cut any down. The one exception is in the swamps of Harloeg (see the Geography chapter), where yew grow plentifully (along with some lebethron) but large-scale wood-cutting is impractical because of the difficulty of carrying much wood up the long climb out. The wood of the yew is soft and springy, making it ideal for making bows. With a proper and somewhat complicated treatment (involving soaking it in a water bath in which certain minerals have been dissolved, then quickly drying it over a fire) it can be made firm and strong, which well suits other uses like axe-handles or barrels. Its leaves and berries are powerfully poisonous and can be distilled to make a poison suitable for applying to blades and arrow-points (though the Eglain rarely use poisons). When distilled properly and used by a skilled healer, this same substance can treat extreme cases of consumption.
Poplar: Found on the higher hillsides (particularly of the Weather Hills and along the sides of Weathertop) the poplar is notable for tending to grow burrs and gnarled bark. Though not great in number and often in largely inaccessible locations, the poplar produces a hard wood that burns very long. As with the yew, the Eglain do not cut down trees, as there are too few to sacrifice any, but collect as much dead-fall as possible, which is generally cut into lengths and saved to be used for winter fires.
Lebethron: Common in the Trollshaws, this tree (notably reddish in color, with flat leaves that flutter even when there is little wind) is seen only very rarely in the Lone-lands, primarily in Harloeg near the Hoarwell (presumably spreading from the Trollshaws on wind-carried seeds). Its wood is notable for being lighter than other wood of comparable strength (making it well-suited to walking sticks, but poorly suited to axe hafts due to throwing off the balance), and its rich red color.
Willow: This broad, graceful tree does not generally grow on the Lone-lands side of the Hoarwell, but sometimes grows so close to the riverbank on the Trollshaws side that the Eglain can readily cross to harvest strips of its bark. It is also rarely seen on the edge of the Midgewater Pass. The bark, when chewed, provides a mild but highly useful pain relief, and lasts for weeks after being harvested without losing its potency.
Edible Plants
Rhubarb: A low plant with unusually large, broad green leaves, and stems that run from pink to red, the rhubarb is one of the best options for foraging in the Lone-lands, which is why few rhubarb growths last very long. It prefers to grow in shade, but since shade is scarce, it is often found on hillsides. When a bunch of rhubarb is found, the Eglain typically take half the stalks and leaves and leave the rest, hoping the plant will continue to grow; however, this is rarely effective, and often the other half is collected the next day as it's starting to wilt. The stalks can be eaten directly, or cooked down to enrich stews and almost any other meal, adding a tart flavor that can make food past its prime feel more fresh. It should be eaten in small quantities at a time, for a larger amount (especially eaten raw) can loosen the bowels (an effect which is sometimes caused intentionally by healers when a patient needs to be purged).
Onion: While the common onion prefers damp soil, which is notably absent in most of the Lone-lands, there are some hardy dry-soil onions whose greens can be seen peeking above the ground, often near the edge of large stones (though rarely tumble-ruin stones). While the greens are a useful edible, they rarely grow enough to provide any more than a tiny accent to another meal (especially useful to cook with meats). The root, however, is often a bulb as large as a chicken's egg, sometimes much larger, which serves as both a food source on its own and a flavoring that enlivens any stew or soup. Sadly, the only way to harvest the bulb is to dig it up, so there is no hope of a repeating food source. When found in autumn the plant is carefully collected so that its seeds can be gathered, as the onion can be grown in the small crop plots on the west side of Ost Guruth.
Bitterbrush: A small shrub which typically grows in rockier places (particularly those where many small stones have been gathered, like the dried bones of ancient water flows, rather than amongst the larger stones of collapsed ruins). Pale yellow flowers with darker yellow centers blossom in late summer. The bitterbrush is valued by antelope and boar, particularly during the winter when other grasses have dried or slumbered. The stems can be used by healers in treatments against illnesses of the stomach. While their taste is frankly terrible, they are edible.
Balsamroot: This low bushy growth producing arrow-shaped leaves and bright, large yellow flowers is very rare in the Lone-lands, with only a few dozen plants scattered around the region. Their locations are well-known to the Eglain scouts, because after they are harvested, as long as a few stems and leaves are left behind, they will grow back within a few months. The leaves and flowers can be eaten, as can the roots, though the Eglain do not dig up the roots as it's better to leave them to grow the plant back. For this reason, the location of the plants is kept secret amongst the Eglain scouts, so that hungry, short-sighted travelers do not eat the roots, killing the plant. The stems should be peeled before they are eaten. The seeds can be ground into a paste that a healer can use to drive out diseases (particularly diseases of the breath and the lungs).
Mushrooms: A careful forager visiting the marshes of Harloeg (see the Geography chapter for warnings about this) can sometimes find clusters of white, low mushrooms which can be harvested. Their spongy texture is unpleasant to some, but generally, if you clean them, cut them up, and cook them into a stew, even people who don’t like the texture or taste will not complain or even notice. Just don’t tell them you’ve done so.
Cattail: This tall reedy plant with a puffy cap can be found along the edges of the Hoarwell, though more often on the Trollshaws side than the Lone-lands side. In autumn, pull the plant up whole, cut away the stem, and peel back the outer layer of the root, to reveal a cylindrical body with a delicate flavor and a pleasant crunch. This, of course, kills the plant, but cattails are numerous and will reappear the next year. The stem can also be used in weaving baskets, and can be soaked, pulled, and dried to make fibers that are woven to make clothing, tents, and many other textiles.
Herbs and Flowers
Gorse: Noted for its vicious thorns, the gorse is also the brightest yellow hue that one will see in the Lone-lands in summer. Which is not to say it's all that yellow, really; seen on its own and up close, the color is somewhat muddy in all but a few exceptional blooms. However, from farther back, in large numbers (as the gorse does tend to cover significant swaths of land), and especially at sunrise and sunset, the yellow hue becomes bright enough to take the breath away. A field of gorse at dawn is perhaps the most easily seen beauty of the Lone-lands, yet almost always overlooked by travelers passing through, who have more urgent things to do at sunrise.
Thistle: A thorny plant that in summer grows a purple blossom, thistle is an irritant that provides a good reason to always wear sturdy boots that reach up to at least mid-shin. Healers use the stem and blossom for various poultices and tinctures, so be sure to bring thick gloves when gathering thistle, as the minor irritation of its ever-present prickles adds up quickly.
Woad: A yellow flower recognizable for taking the form of a profusion of tiny petals in complex clusters, woad is most valuable for producing an extract that adds a blue color to dyes. It grows only rarely in the Lone-lands, and seems to favor neither high nor low, dry nor moist, soil nor rocky, though it is rarely very close to the road.
Rockweed: A moss-like plant with yellow strands running through it, which grows on the underside of larger stones, especially ruin-stones that have sat long in the soil. Known by other names outside the Lone-lands (the Rangers call it stonemoss). Valued by healers not for any particular power of its own, but for its ability to strengthen the effect of other healing herbs when combined with them; however, the preparation required for this effect requires considerable effort and skill, and improperly prepared rockweed can cause more problems than it solves. Collect it in a crock which is kept sealed as much as possible until a qualified healer can prepare the plant.
Milk Vetch: Often growing close by fountain grass, the milk vetch is a woody-stemmed flower with purple blossoms (slightly paler than the grass). The entire plant can be boiled down to make a thick gummy poultice which is used to treat injuries to increase resistance to the fiery aftereffects of wounds, and encourage growth and healing.
