"The Velooma flower are synonymous with revulsion. Their pungent smell make's one think of rot and death, but despite that, the crimson red hue they all share is very alluring to me. It really goes to show the duality of beauty, as something that may be beautiful on the outside, may be horrid on the inside."-William Tancard's: Haveborne Flora illustrated.
Overview[]
The Velooma Flower are a rare species of flower native to various regions across planet Haven, though they are known to exist in the largest quantities on the River of Blood on the island of Bloodmoore. They have an estimated population of only around thirty-seven thousand individual flower bushes. They are a unique species of rosaceae (rose) and are the only one's on the planet known to exhibit its respective unique traits.
Physical[]
The Velooma's physical structure and appearance stands out among the countless other species of flower known to inhabit Haven. The Velooma Flower grow in large pods that extend to about four feet in diameter. Within these pods, several individual Velooma pedals grow out from the pods' main structure, which appears red with patches of blue coloring located at the middle and the tops of the flower. They grow in warmer, arid and sandy bodies of land near the banks of water, typically on beaches and the banks of rivers. Typically, a Velooma flower will take around five standard years to fully grow, and will have a lifespan of around forty-nine standard years.
They have a strange liquid and slimy texture to themselves, which was evolved to make it difficult for small insects to land on the flower to feast upon it, making them slip off of the flower. If one attempts to grab a Velooma flower's individual pedals, then it will seemingly melt in one's hand, and begin to drip with red liquid. This liquid produces a pungent odor that smells akin to that of a rotting corpse, which has been developed to dissuade animals in eating the flower, which it is quite effective at, as almost no creature is known to eat Velooma flowers that are not insects.
Usage[]
Due to both their rarity, and the foul smell they emit, the Velooma flower is almost never used for any ornamental purpose by any of Haven's intelligent populace. Instead, they are often replicated in labs and used in the creation of sprays meant to ward off predators from crops and livestock, which it is fairly successful at, being one of the most effective natural deterrents used.
As previously stated, the Velooma is designed to ward off any herbivore and omnivore fauna that attempts to eat it, however the only exception to the rule comes from the so called: "Velooma Monster," an animal native to Bloodmoore. The Velooma Monster is a large insect that feeds off of the many Velooma flower pedals that are located across the River of Blood, and often times responsible for their continued existence on the island, as it will replant the flower with seeds left over during its consumption, ensuring the continued production of more food.