Here is a description of the Rapaca, or Repeca, plant.

The root was like a braid of serpents crushed lengthwise and molded into the shape of a butterfly's egg, or something between a sweet potatoe and turnip, by a clumsy hand. It was covered in patches the color of leaf litter, and the rest was a flesh yellow color, and smooth. There were multiple such tubers to a plant. The flesh of the tuber was white tainted with gray, with an almost paper thin layer of yellow near the skin. The leaves of the plant had the texture of nettle leaves, with the leaf shape of the mandrake. The leaf edges were smooth, but tender, with thin wrinkles running around the leaf just within the edges. The plants each bore a few large flowers, complicated and folded, of the orchid sort, of pink, white, yellow colors. The leaves and flowers of the plant were poisonous, but if thoroughly dried they were used as medicines in small amounts. The skins, and yellow layer under it, were poisonous, but with the skins and yellow part cut off the root was eaten like the sweet potatoe. The poison caused aching in the joints, headaches, and mild madness. The taste of the root was like the potato, but with a distant hint of citrus in a spice like sense.

I was inspired for this by a glance at a single group of loops in a patternless, beige carpet.

Cool! Is it cultivated as a crop in your world, for food and medicine? Or...do less savory people grow it for...
...a more creative use, perhaps?

Some people would cultivate it as a crop I am sure, but not commonly. It would probably grow in the wild or in small vegetable gardens, and be used only occasionally, in a dish with something else. Its use as a medicine would be more obscurely known.

There are many, many plants that are poisonous in some form, and it seems that people only hear about the notably strong poisons. Buttercups are poisonous for example. I have not heard of buttercup poisoning though, unless some one accidentally ate one.

I think so far the most remarkable thing about the rapaca is how completely, quickly, and satisfactorily it occurred to me, and on so slight provocation.

I tried to say something about these earlier but must have never submitted. I think what I said was something along the lines of: Wow, these sound really neat, I like how parts of them can be used for medicine (or even poison, maybe?) and food, good job! That's cool how it came to you like that...I like it when inspiration strikes so clearly!

Thank you RunningWolf and Cephron!

You may have posted on the other thread:
http://www.holyworlds.org/fantasy/viewtopic.php?f=108&t=5498

Is there anything I could develop about a plant that I have not touched on yet?

Hmm...role in ecology? What kind of climate does it thrive in? (If you want to be hardcore: how does it fit competitively into its niche? Are they eaten by any creatures?--if so, how does it escape being eradicated by them?)

And, role in economy? Farmed, sold, traded? Brought over from its indigenous habitat for use elsewhere? You may have already covered this, though--you said they're mostly grown in the wild and small gardens, so it sounds like it doesn't have a big economic impact so far.

Finally, is it likely that the plant might figure into your story? Athelas only made a brief appearance in LotR, but was memorable because its medicinal use actually impacted the story in a significant way. Developing the Rapaca's medicinal uses might give you a similar opportunity.

Questions! Beautifical!

Hot, more Mediterranean climate, more clayey soil I believe, near trees, especially copses, scattered woodland. Eaten by a few animals that not harmed by its poison, mainly a kind of aardvark. Its seeds are distributed by these creatures, it depends on them to survive.


Mainly occasional selling and trading by those who find them, not farmed much. Probably not known outside of its habitat.


It is more likely now, thanks to the help developing here.
Thank you for the questions Cephron!