discussion horticulture - plants and their uses?

[Asmrran]

Hello, does anyone have references for plants and what exactly they can be used for. Such as a herb that can make you sleepy or a hallucinogenic/narcotic flower. i'm looking for mostly fan made stuff as well as cannon since I haven't been able to find much.

 

This is for my character who enjoys making fragrances, tea, a mixture of plants to rub on a wound to promote healing and the occasional narcotic.

[Eses Fafa]

From what I know, Somnus is an illegal narcotic that's sold around the Thanalan region, and that overuse can lead to an 'eternal sleep'. Can't remember the references, but that's all I got.

[Tara]

Aloe is known by the Miqo'te to treat burns.

 

Belladonna can make a potent sleeping poison.

 

Powder from Bitter Foxglove is more deadly than normal Foxglove.

 

Chamomile is a thing and probably has the same soothing effects as it does in  real life.

 

Coneflower is believed to relieve several different ailments.

 

Dandelion stalks are filled with a toxic milky substance but the leaves and roots can be dried and used in medicinal infusions.

 

Here is where I was getting my information!

[Mae]

Milkroot is used by the Sylphs (and augmented with Dream Toad slime) for intoxication and hallucinations. It does affect People, but is supposed to be fairly noxious.

 

Somnus is derived from the "dreamflower". It is illegal in all the city-states, but Ul'dah seems to have the worst problems with it. You can visit Stone's Throw and Lost Hope (both in Central Thanalan) and find both users and producers. Also, one of the first quests in Limsa also has you picking up dropped flowers that the guard first teases that were dreamflowers but turn out to just be a type of lavender.

 

There is rye in the game, and therefore probably ergot, which is a fungal infection of rye grains. Ergot is known to cause hallucinations, seizures, and burning sensations in the limbs. A writer surmised that ergotism was the cause of the Salem Witch Trials (but there is an utter lack of any evidence to support this) and may have been used by some of the Oracles in ancient Greece. It is also a fairly powerful aborticacient, but can cause many complications. And it can also cause gangrene and kill.

 

We have a lot of representatives from the Solanoideae family in-game (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, belladonna, mandrake), so it's likely that we also have datura. Datura, mandrake, and belladonna/nightshade are all hallucinogenic and cause delirium to various extents. Belladonna/nightshade tends to be the more mild and can be addictive and do have a 'sleepy' effect. Mandrake is stronger. Datura, even more so, to the point where the smell from the flowers (which is often described as smelling like peanut butter) can intoxicate a person. Belladonna, mandrake, and datura can all kill.

 

Nutmeg can cause delirium in high quantities. it can also kill in the same quantities.

 

We also have a few representatives of the Asteraceae family in the game, and we also specifically have mugwort, so it wouldn't be a stretch to say that we also have wormwood. Wormwood is one of the key herbs used when distilling absinthe, and was the main source of blame when absinthe was outlawed. HOWEVER, it's been proven that most of the the crazy behaviours blamed on absinthe were actually the result of poisoning (lead from cheap bottles, copper salts to give green colour) when absinthe became mainstream and mass-produced. It causes giddiness and a 'feeling of creativity'. It is also used in treating of various gastrointestinal issues.

 

And that's just scratching the surface.

 

We have models that, while not named, also suggest that we have poppies and various members of Ranunculaceae. We have more examples of Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Rosaceae in-game than I have time or desire to go over, and we also have mushrooms, molds, and mosses that we can pretty much just take at face-value to exist (otherwise we'd be expecting the Dev's to devote time to making up hundreds of thousands of plants to make a working ecosystem for us). All of which have species that can/do have hallucinogenic/narcotic effects. If you're doing a character that dabbles in herbalism, I would suggest that you pick up a field guide (I cut my teeth on an earlier edition of this one a couple decades ago) or a similar online resource and just spend some time reading through so you can start to get an idea on what you can, can't, and shouldn't use.

[Valence]

If you are looking for purely lore things, then I guess this could come in handy.

[Dracyn]

Mistletoe is also a plant mentioned in game and though not mentioned in game irl it was used during the middle ages to treat a number of ailments from seizures to high blood pressure. Though it was also used by ladies of the night as an abortive.

 

I'm sure the plant is used in the same way in Eorzea as well.

 

Btw I am in no way advocating consuming mistletoe in any shape or form. It IS poisonous and will likely do severe harm to anyone attempting to use it in a medical manner.

[Klynzahr]

Cactuar Flowers can be brewed into an infusion or tea that lowers fevers.

 

Ground antelope horn, while not technically a herb, is used to draw out infections.

 

Marjoram can be used in real life to treat coughs, colds, and stomach aches.

 

Ginger is another real life plant that is used in many anti-nausea medications.

 

Ginsing is a mild stimulant, which some cultures believe to have aphrodisiac properties. It is also used in Cold-FX and a few other immune boosters/cold medications.