Hi, I don't know if anything like these two already exists within Kalinor but I figured I'd put them forward either way ^.^
Lustre Blossoms:
These hardy, pale white flowers grow on cavern walls from tiny spore-like seeds. Their roots are exceptionally thin and form an interlacing tangle which anchors the plant to rocks by driving tiny needle-like sub-roots into the surface of the rock with the aid of its slightly acidic sap. The stem of the flower grows out from the rock wall and holds the head of the flower but has no leaves. The head of the flower grows from a bud and will usually appear within 10 days of the flower sprouting. The bud grows out along with the supple stem of the plant but angles itself upwards, guided by the small "ballast"-like chamber of sap in the base of the bud.
After 3 days of growing the bud opens its petals and releases the ballast of sap, which then forms a small pool in the blossom. This slightly acidic sap flouresces when exposed to air and this, along with its intoxicating sweet smell serves to attract insects to the pool of liquid in the base of the blossom. Once an insect has fallen into the liquid the sticky sap holds it fast as the acid begins breaking it down exceptionally slowly. The sap is constantly circulated throughout the plant and the bowl of glowing sap, meaning nutrients flow through the plant almost immediately once an insect has been caught.
Lustre Blossoms supplement their insectivorous diet with nutrients leeched from the rocks they are anchored to. This often influences the colour of the blossom's glow. Blossoms usually glow vibrant blue or deep purple, but it is not entirely uncommon for certain rocks to create a fiery red, sunny yellow or veridian green. A rarity amongst Lustre Blossoms is one which glows pure white. These are called Lustre Diamonds and are considered good luck for those finding one.
The sap of these flowers can be decanted into a glass or cup and diluted with water to create a nutritionally rich, glowing drink that is exceptionally sweet. Those who are not used to consuming food that has been pre digested (any race other than the Symenestra really) often say the drink has a spicy taste to it oddly enough. Removing the sap of a Lustre Blossom removes its glow and can lead to the death of the blossom unless water is used to replace the removed sap. Watered Lustre Blossoms can regain their glow and as most times regarding this flower, it is surprisingly rapid depending on the minerals available in the rock, taking anywhere from 1 day to ten.
The petals can be used to make a similarly sweet tea without the spicy taste or the glowing however.
Lustre Blossoms spread by releasing a cloud of spore-like seeds whenever a particularly rich meal has been had. During digestion of a meal rich enough to prompt sporing the blossom closes into a bud once more as it prepares the spores and will open 3 days later quite abruptly and forcefully, expelling a cloud of sap coated seeds which glow brightly, creating the illusion of mist. This sap coating assists in bonding the seed initially to the rock and in the anchoring of the first roots which are necessary to produce the blossom.
This process can occur as many times as a blossom recieves sufficient nutrients in its life time, thus caverns which are swarming with flying insects often become overrun with Lustre Blossoms. These flowers have no seasonal links due to their underground nature and bloom all year as long as they obtain nutrients.
When removed from the rock they are bonded to Lustre Blossoms leave a pitted and scarred indent in the shape that their roots spread across the rock. While difficult to bond to, Lustre Blossoms can be grown on crystals with the right help and these are known to produce the best tasting sap and regain their glow quite quickly due to the ready availability of minerals in the crystal.
Ghostcap Mushrooms:
Ghostcap Mushrooms are a hardy fungus but die off quite quickly when exposed to sunlight. They are named for their characteristic pale, semi translucent cap and can grow only in deep, dark caverns. While they do not require much moisture to sprout, they amount present speeds up the process and increases the size of the resulting fungus colony. Spores are realeased slowly for the entire duration of winter, or at any time when the air of the cavern drops colder than usual. Ghostcaps monitor temperature through a liquid on their caps which is "calibrated" as soon as the caps grow large enough to secrete the syrupy fluid. Due to the long time it takes for ghostcaps to sprout those spores which begin growing in winter or during a cold span in the cave will only sprout caps 2 seasons onwards. It is uncommon, but not unheard of for caps to sprout in winter, meaning they will be unlikely to ever release spores. These mushrooms become a danger during their sporing times as the small, airborne spores tend to fill the cavern and when inhaled grow readily throughout the creatures respiratory system on account of the dark, damp location.
Apart from this danger the fluid coating their caps makes an effective burn salve or a disinfectant, but the mushroom itself is largely useless apart from being used as a form of incense. Consuming the mushroom is non fatal but can result in vomiting and bowel pains.
If you don't want to do any of that, it is also perfectly fine the way it is.
