Memorizing Methods of Responsible Collection

by **Okara** on August 5th, 2016, 6:03 pm

Summer 37, 516

Okara tapped her foot against the floor, impatient for class to begin. She was seated at a wooden table in a classroom within the Opal Temple. She stared at the white stone walls listlessly, she would be looking at these walls all day. Once this morning class was finished Okara would make her way to the Temple kitchens to begin her work shift. She spent so much time within the Temple complex that it no longer elicited the grandeur she once felt as a child when she visited. The Temple just felt like home now. Except the South Tower, the seat of Rak’keli. That place still inspired awe and reverence in her heart.

Okara straightened her back and reached a hand up to check her braided blonde hair for stray wisps as Drae Summers, the herbalism instructor, walked into the room. Okara loved Drae’s classes and was pleased that she had taken the class that season. The young Konti woman opened the journal she had for class notes to a blank page and dipped her quill in ink, ready to begin at Drae’s first words.

“Today we will be focusing on proper methods of collecting herbs. Collection is an important skill, both for your needs now and for your needs in the future. I have several plant specimens here that we will discuss both the uses of and the proper collection methods. These collection methods apply to collecting any similar plant part.” Drae explained, taking her place behind a table at the front of the room.

“Since we are having class indoors today, I will be using some drawings as well as fresh plants for teaching purposes. Now, let’s start our discussion with the common dandelion. There are many parts of the dandelion that we can use to demonstrate proper collection techniques.” Drae lifted a piece of paper and attached it to the wall behind her. The paper had a drawing of a dandelion on it, with all the parts of the plant labeled.

“The most important collection technique is know what you are harvesting! Do not harvest anything unless you are one hundred percent certain that it is the plant you are looking for. Some plants look very similar to each other and if you choose the wrong one you could end up poisoning your patient instead of helping them. Never pick a plant you aren’t familiar with, and study your target plant closely so you know exactly what to look for.” Drae said in a stern voice and Okara nodded along in agreement. She wrote Drae’s warning in large letters across the top of the page.

“Now, leaves. Leaves are one of the most common plant parts utilized and it’s important to harvest them the right way. When we harvest leaves, we want to stick to the top couple leaves of the plant.” Drae pointed to the top leaves of the dandelion drawing as she explained. “We stick to the top because those leaves are freshest and least likely to be damaged from exposure to the elements. We also leave the bottom leaves so the plant has something to use to continue to take in sunlight. When an herbalist takes all of the leaves from a plant they leave the plant with limited means of food production and that plant will likely die.”

by **Okara** on August 5th, 2016, 6:03 pm

“Always remember to leave something for Caiyha. She has provided us with bountiful plant life and she will not appreciate herbalists who don’t respect her domain. Leave the bottom leaves. Dandelion leaves have many uses. Dandelion is an extremely common plant in many places throughout Mizahar and is also extremely useful. All parts of the plant are edible and useful. The leaves can even be added to salad as a tasty addition if they are harvested in the spring. If you wait until the leaves are older they will be too bitter for meal time. “ As Drae mentioned dandelion’s cooking potential Okara smiled and busily wrote in her journal. She loved learning about new cooking ingredient and had not realized she would get such tips in an herbalism class.

“Dandelion leaves, and the rest of the plant, have several medicinal uses as well. Dandelion leaves can be made into a tea or tincture. These medicines can be used to promote urination and assist with kidney functioning. It can also help the digestive system by improving appetite and relieving an upset stomach.” Drae paused for a moment to let the students catch up. Okara hastily scribbled notes. She had one page labeled for collection techniques and another labeled for dandelion uses. She moved back and forth between pages to write, careful not to tear a delicate page in her eagerness.

“Flower heads are frequently harvested parts that need some consideration. The flower is the main means of reproduction for many plants. While many plants will grow a new flower when the old one has been harvested, you may not be able to count on that if you are harvesting near the end of the plant’s season. This can have negative repercussions if you are harvesting particularly rare plants. Make sure you harvest at a time that gives the plant the best chance at reproduction and continuing its species.” Drae explained, pointing at the flower head of the dandelion.

“The best way to harvest flowers is to pop it off the stem firmly with your thumb to avoid damaging any more of the plant structure. You will want to dry flowers as soon as possible because they can be prone to mold. Dandelion flowers share many of the properties of its leaves and be utilized together in teas and tinctures. It also can be added to salads like the leaves.” Drae paused again and Okara wrote furiously. She stopped now and then to dip her quill into the ink pot on her table and wrote quickly, turning back and forth between her collection and dandelion pages. She enjoyed how Drae weaved the properties of plants in with the more theoretical lectures.

“Next we come to the root. The root system is an essential part of any plant and it is hugely important to wait until after the plant has completed it’s reproduction cycle to harvest it. Generally this means it is best to harvest roots in the Fall but there are some notable exceptions. Again, research your intended plants thoroughly to be sure you are respecting the plant so it is available for future herbalists.” Drae explained and pointed at the root system on the picture.

“Notice how the dandelion’s root system has one large piece in the middle. That is called the tap root and it anchors the plant into the earth pretty firmly. This is why if you try to just yank up the roots by the base of the plant it will likely break and leave you with just small parts of the root system. Instead, you will need to put in some effort and dig down around the plant. A nice sharp trowel or shovel is ideal for root harvesting. Once you’ve dug down around the plant it should be much easier to lift up out of the ground. The roots will need thorough cleaning before you use dry them. I would also recommend chopping up roots before drying as it will make it easier to both dry and store.” Drae's lecture was beginning to get a little monotone and Okara struggled to maintain her zest with note taking.

by **Okara** on August 5th, 2016, 8:03 pm

“The root of the dandelion has several different uses. It can reduce inflammation of the liver as well as assisting the functions of the liver and gall bladder. Because it assists those organs, it is a great gentle laxative for those suffering constipation. The root also shares some of the diuretic, or increased urination, properties of the leaves. The roots can be used to make a tea or tonic. Beware though, the taste is very bitter and you may have to coax patients into taking it.” Drae paused as she finished speaking. Okara’s quill moved across the page in quick, jerky motions. Her hand made lines, loops, and slashes as she wrote notes about the dandelion properties.

“I will share with you a few recipes that can be used to utilize dandelion. To make a tincture, put several spoonfuls of dried dandelion roots and leaves in a jar and cover with alcohol. Seal the jar and shake it daily for 5 weeks then unseal it and strain out the plant parts. The tincture should be stored somewhere dry and dark. I would recommend a dosage of no more than 4-5 drops taken in a spoonful of water. You can also make a tea by boiling some dried dandelion leaves and flowers and straining out the plant parts. A cup is sufficient.” Drae said, smiling as the students wrote the recipe with renewed vigor. Okara too was excited to write down the useful recipes. She knew it was important to learn the fundamentals but learning how to use the plants was most exciting.

“The next plant part that is commonly collected is bark. Now dandelions don’t have bark of course so we will need to look to a different plant for our demonstration. Take a moment to complete any additional notes about dandelions or the previously discussed collection methods before we move on.” Drae said and sat a chair behind the front table to wait.

Okara had mostly finished her written notes but used the opportunity to sketch the dandelion plant in her journal. She used lines to draw the stem and root system, making sure to note and label the taproot. The flower she drew with a few small bursts of lines to indicate the many petals, noting the color and shape with written labels. She spent a little more effort on drawing the toothed leaves, her sketches were rudimentary but sufficient. She labeled the dandelion leaves with terms she had learned earlier in the season. Dhe marked the shape as oblong, the margins both lobed and serrated, and finally the leave arrangement she determined to be a whorl or rosette on the stem. Finishing her sketch, Okara looked up as Drae began to move around. The instructor was holding a tree branch that had silvery bark and evergreen needles. A few dark berries were clustered on the branch.

“This is a branch from the saskatan tree. This tree is unique to Mura. You will notice I am holding just the branch and not the whole saskatan tree. This is because the branch is all that is needed to collect bark. When you collect bark you will want to cut a branch from your intended tree, so you will need to bring along a sharp knife or saw depending on how thick the branch is. From the branch you can peel away bark to your heart’s content. The reason we take bark from a branch is because taking the bark from the trunk of a tree will expose it to insects, funguses and diseases. All of these things are very compromising to the tree and could possibly kill the tree.” Drae looked around the room carefully to see if the students were taking her as seriously. Okara carefully noted down the bark collection advice and made a new page for the saskatan tree.

Saskatan :

by **Okara** on August 6th, 2016, 1:09 pm

“What part of the bark do you harvest?” Drae asked and waited to see if a student would answer, none did. She raised an eyebrow in surprise before continuing.

“Do you just take off the rough outer bark and throw it in your cooking pot? For most trees no, that would not be most beneficial. What you want to do is strip away the outer bark and harvest the inner bark that lays next to the heartwood. If you go harvest bark during the late spring or early summer it should be easy enough to strip away by hand. This is the time the tree is forming its new layer and it is still easy to remove. If you go outside of this time you will certainly need a knife to strip away the inner bark.” Drae held up the saskatan branch and with a knife demonstrated how to peel away the outer bark and harvest the inner bark.

Okara drew a quick picture of the saskatan branch and with a few labels and arrows noted how the bark harvest should be done. She made sure to note Drae’s advice about the time of year to harvest. She felt a little embarrassed to realize she had thought the bark called for in recipes was the rough and sometimes colorful outer bark of trees. She was glad she had heard Drae’s advice before she had attempted to harvest something herself.

“Alright and to wrap up the bark discussion I will share with you that the bark of a saskatan tree can be dried and ground up for a tea that will ease sore throats.” Drae said and smiled at the class. Okara wrote the information on her saskatan page and began working on a better sketch of the branch than she had drawn for her bark harvest notes. She wanted a sketch with labels good enough to identify the tree in future. She noted the color of the bark and berries and the acicular shape of the leaves.

“The last plant part we need to discuss collecting is seeds. If you want to harvest seeds you will have to pay close attention to that particular plant’s growth cycle. Seeds don’t stick around for long so you will have to be vigilant. Where you gather seeds will depend on what type of plant you are harvesting from. Some utilize seed pods while others may encase their seeds in other protective or enticing measures depending on how the seeds prefer to spread.” Drae picked up the saskatan branch again and turned it over. She pointed at the darkly colored berries clustered there as she began lecturing again.

“The saskatan tree seeds are contained inside of a fruit, these berries that you can see right here. If I wait too long to go out into the Silverwood and harvest these berries when I need them they will drop to the ground and be eaten by something that will spread the saskatan tree seeds around. This is helpful for the saskatan tree but not for me if I need those berries.” Drae explained. She plucked one of the berries off the branch and opened it with her fingers. She dug around in the small fruit until she held aloft a tiny seed with purplish stained fingers.

“Now the saskatan fruit and seed have no particular medicinal properties. The fruit is edible but very sour tasting so it is typically not used in cooking. It does have a nice dark purple color that makes it an excellent dye ingredient however.” Drae paused after finishing and Okara hurriedly finished her saskatan branch sketch and made a few notes about seed collection and the saskatan berries use in dyes.

by **Okara** on August 6th, 2016, 1:09 pm

“As I said, seeds were our last plant part to discuss. But we have one last item to collect that we have not discussed. But it isn’t part of a plant. Can anyone guess what I’m talking about?” Drae looked expectantly about the room, the students exchanging questioning glances.

“Fungus! Fungi are not plants but they have just as many purposes and uses. With fungi it is essential to know exactly what you are looking for because there are many similar looking fungi and some of them are incredibly poisonous. If you pick the wrong thing you could kill your patient. When you need to collect a fungus you will likely be harvesting it’s mushroom, the fruiting body of the fungus. Not all fungus produce mushrooms, some are molds or yeasts. Though the finer details of fungi are really a discussion for another day. Fungi grow in all sorts of conditions and places. Some grow on trees, others on the ground, and still more grow on decomposing matter.” Drae explained as the students nodded. Okara moved her quill around the page, making quick notes about fungi.

Drae bent down to a box sitting next to the table she was seated at. She lifted out a palm sized mushroom and held it up for the class to see. The mushroom was fan shaped, the majority of the mushroom body was dark orange but it’s tips were white.

“This is called a lingzhi mushroom. It grows on deciduous trees with a special love for maple though finding it in the wild is quite rare. It usually grows as a group of mushroom bodies. When you harvest the mushroom you will want to cut it away from the tree. The lingzhi is very spongy so it should be quite easy to accomplish. Dry the mushroom right away, mushrooms spoil very easily. You may also consider rinsing your fingers after you are finished working with the fresh mushroom. This particular species releases its spores, or reproductive material, through its pores and they spread easily. Especially when it is coated on your fingers.” Drae stood and walked around the room so the students could get a better look at the mushroom.

Okara made a quick sketch of the lingzhi. A rounded top and less rounded bottom was the best she could do to imply the fan shape. She made labels and arrows regarding the color of the mushroom and jotted a few notes about where it could be found.

“The lingzhi has many properties, some we are still exploring. You can use the dried mushroom to promote a healthy immune system and improve blood circulation. While lingzhi can treat high blood pressure and asthma, it’s rare enough that there are cheaper and easier to find treatments for those conditions. Its boost to the immune system and help with blood circulation can improve many functions of the body and this is where lingzhi’s worth really shines.” Drae finished her lecture and paused to let the students finish writing. Okara jotted notes about lingzhi’s uses and rarity before looking up at the instructor once more.

“Well, that’s all I have for you today. I hope you keep my advice in mind as you start collecting your own herbs out in the Silverwood and wherever else your travels may take you. But remember, the most important thing about gathering ingredients is to know what you are looking for! Never forget how essential it is to know exactly what you are looking for and the subtle differences between more poisonous family members. Research thoroughly students!” The students rolled their eyes as Drae reminded them yet again of correct identification.

Okara shook her head playfully as she put away the quill and ink in one of the classroom’s many drawers. She blew gently on the journal page she had finished writing to ensure it was dry before closing it and holding it at her side. She smiled at Drae Sommers and thanked her for the class before turning to leave.

by **Efforvescent** on September 10th, 2016, 3:53 pm

Look what the Bubbles popped in with!!

Skill Points Awarded

Lores Awarded

Loot Awarded

None

Consequences

None

Notes

I did not give you a point in philtering as you only got a recipe for the philter and not actually made it, Same with medicine and food preparation. The tea recipe was not very well described so the lore was not awarded. You have the lores but not the skill points in experience. When it is applied in a thread, then you can get the points. I did not find it dry at all. If I missed something let me know. Enjoy your grades.

Solo Memorizing Methods of Responsible Collection