#trumpet pitcher

[los-plantalones]

sarracenia leucophylla (hybrid).

[pancakeke]

this sarracenia has never grown well but I think it likes its new digs. it's growing pitchers again :)

[ybyrx]

I love carnivorous plants but they're very tricky, so I made a brief guide on how to care for our flesh-eating friends.

It’s by no means comprehensive, just a lil ref sheet for fun. If you are interested in keeping carnivorous plants you should definitely look into it! They’re incredibly interesting plants

[thehiddenedge-blog]

Wildlife Challenge day 13

When sun’s kiss is fierce, Soak the trumpet pitcher well – Pity the poor flies. (Haiku) (Pot in back garden) Inspired by the Wildlife Challenge. if you too would like to join in, this June. Click through here for the rules …

[faguscarolinensis]

Sarracenia alata / Pale Pitcher Plant at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, NC

[thiswillnotdo]

2023_06_05

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: Meat-Eating Plants

Bladderwort - its sensitive hairs, when touched by prey, open the trapdoor, which then swells up and sucks the victim into a pouch

Butterwort - its sticky hairs, present on only the summer leaves, trap insects

Cobra plant - see-through windows on the hood confuse trapped prey who tire themselves out trying to escape

Powdery strap airplant - the leaves have pools of water between them where drowned insects are digested

Sun pitcher plant - its tube-shaped leaves produce nectar to attract insects, which are digested by bacteria in the trap

Sundew - its sensitive hairs covered in sticky juices wrap around the prey

Tropical pitcher plant - its bright, slippery lip attracts insects; the undigested parts of insects sink to the bottom of the colorful trap

Trumpet pitcher plant - its tubelike traps contain downward-pointing hairs to prevent their victims’ escape

Venus flytrap - its trap closes in less than a second when trigger hairs are touched; its long teeth keep insects inside as the trap closes

Waterwheel plant - underwater traps snap shut in 1⁄50 of a second when triggered by prey

INSIDE A PITCHER PLANT

Brightly colored lip, slippery with sweet nectar, attracts prey.

Waxy insides ensure the insect cannot climb out.

Insect drowns in a pool of digestive juices.

A lid prevents rain from flooding the pitcher.

Some tropical species have pitchers that hang from tendrils.

NOTES

Meat-eating plants often grow in bogs, trapping insects and other small animals to get the nitrogen and minerals they need that are missing from the wet soil.

There are different types of meat-eating, or carnivorous, plants.

Waterwheel plants and Venus flytraps have snap traps, which quickly close shut around their victims.

Pitcher plants have a lip of nectar to attract their prey. The insects then fall into the pitcher (jug) of digestive juices, which break down their bodies.

The flypaper traps of the butterwort and sundew have sticky hairs that make sweet treats to attract insects, which they digest slowly.

The bladderwort is an amazing plant with leaves that have evolved over a long time to form pouchlike traps to help them get the nutrients they need to survive. Its underwater traps are triggered by sensitive hairs and act like vacuum cleaners to suck in small prey as they swim by.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

[great-and-small]

Send this in the group chat and try not to be annoyed when your friends get your vibe all wrong

1- Black vulture (Coragyps atratus)

2- Harnessed tiger moth (Apantesis phalerata)

3- American badger (Taxidea taxus)

4- Long-tailed salamander (Eurocentric longicauda)

5- American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

A- Trumpet pitchers (Sarracenia spp)

B- Destroying Angel mushroom (Amanita bisporigera)

C- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

D- California palm (Washingtonian filifera)

E- Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)

!- Obsidian

$- Turquoise

%- Pyrite

#- Copper

@- Lapis lazuli

[elliebyrrdwrites]

Dramione AU Drabbles

The rain continued to linger. Sporadic showers falling onto the city with intention. Darkening the shadows as the sun continued to hide amongst the clouds.

But, Hermione felt as if she was stuck in the eye of a storm more torrential than the fickle rain that denied to go away. Not yet, it said. Just a little longer. It wanted to drive its point home. That autumn was tumbling, furiously to a close as the winter season closed in. It refused the arrival of the Santa Ana winds that typically hit Southern California this time of year. Each year, the winds grew fiercer and drier. And every winter proved wetter and colder.

Right now, the entire region was stuck somewhere in between. Hermione was also stuck. She was in no place to be intrigued by a man. Especially not by a man like Officer Draco Malfoy.

But she was.

Everything about the situation was wrong. He was an officer. She was a witch pretending to be an ordinary civilian. But that wasn’t even the most concerning element to all of this.

Hermione had a plan. She had been working on this plan for years. Quietly moving her way through a cold world, unseen. She put away every spare bronze mark she could. Scraping and skimping. Saving.

She was closer than ever. And now, all she could think about the spark of magic that ignited inside of her skin when Malfoy touched her. All she could think about was the way he looked at her. Like he had unexpectedly stumbled upon something he had been searching for.

She couldn’t stop thinking about little things. Like the sharp point of his nose or the hard lines of his jaw. The mysterious pale blue eyes. The hint of cigarette smoke and something spicy and woodsy that lingered on his clothes. He’d gotten close enough to her that she could smell him. Could bathe in his scent.

But, it didn’t make sense. For the most notorious Generals son to be at all interested in her. Even if she wasn’t magical, what could he possibly get from flirting with a girl like her?

Nothing, she reminded herself. Not a thing, she emphasized as she tightened the tie of her apron at her back before taking her hair down from the messy bun on top of her head. She ran her fingers through her mess of curls as her eyes darted to the clock on the wall. There was only ten minutes left until closing. And he still had not shown up.

Which was good, she reminded herself. That was great. That was ideal, actually.

And so, she went about cleaning off the empty tables. She emptied out the trash cans and swept the floor. She shut the machines down and washed the milk pitchers and cups. She did all this by hand.

At a minute past midnight, Hermione hung up her apron and turned up the volume to the music. She let it wash over her. The somber, romantic croon of the clarinet. The different saxophones, a tenor and an alto. The trumpet in B Flat. There were no lyrics, This song was all music, all feeling.

She wanted to dance. It was something she did, once upon a time. Something they all before the task force was introduced, sneaking through the streets in the middle of the night, getting into dance halls that were mostly underground.

She didn’t think they existed anymore. But in here, in this coffee shop, the music lives on. It lives in her heart. It keeps her company.

Hermione went into the back room and filled up the mop bucket before dunking the mop head into the soapy water. Using the handle of the mop, she steered the bucket and wheeled it out.

Only to find Malfoy standing in the middle of the little coffee shop. His blonde hair was damp from the rain. It looked darker, as it clung to his temples and to his forehead. His coat was slung over the back of a chair and he was dressed in his usual black uniform. But the collar of his starched shirt was unbutton to expose the damp pale skin, drops of water leaking from the ends of his hair until they rolled and rolled, disappearing behind the fabric.

“You came.” The words tumbled, freely, from her lips. They were unprovoked, they were unguarded. They betrayed her.

Malfoy’s mouth twitched up at the corners. She could have sworn that his eyes brightened as he dipped his head. But when he looked back up at her, everything about him was serious. Stoic.

“We’re closed.” She rushed the words out, eager to throw him off of her trail.

“I know,” He lifted his chin and took a step toward her. “But I’m afraid I needed to come by and ask you a very serious question.”

Hermione’s hand tightened around the mop handle. Was this about her blood status? She had to know that, eventually, the question would come up. She had always figure out a way to convince people that she was pure. Untainted. But this was General Malfoy’s son. What if he required proof?

She lifted up her own chin and shook the curls from her face. “Oh?” Her voice might have shook.

His eyes flicked up to the speakers that blared out the music. The song was on repeat, and had restarted thirty seconds before she found him standing there.

He outstretched his arm, holding his hand out to her, palm facing the sky. “Will you dance with me?”

Hermione took a step back, letting got of the mop. It clattered to the floor causing her to jump. “What?” Her eyes darted to the mop and back to him. He was smirking at her, his eyes unyielding as they held onto her.

Malfoy nodded and took a step closer.

Her heart began to flutter and her stomach flipped as he moved closer. His hand was between them, as he grew so close, she could smell him again. He must have just smoked a cigarette. It smelled fresh. It mixed with his cologne and the rain, creating an all new, intoxicating scent that would forever be imprinted into her brain. Core memory creation at its finest.

Despite his damp clothes, there was warmth radiating off of him. It felt like it was wrapping itself around her, pulling her in, threatening to wrap her into an embrace that might shatter her entire world.

Which is why she had to say no. She needed to deny him this dance. She needed to keep her head on straight. Push forward, remain faithful to the plan.

Except that she found the walls that had once been fortified around herself crumbling as she breathed him in. Because his other hand reached up and tucked one of her curls behind her ear. The intimate feeling of a feather light touch against the shell of her ear sent a shiver through her, and propelled her into the unknown.

Her hand slid into his. And for a moment, it was as if she had plucked herself up and removed her entire body and mind from this existence and found herself floating into an entire new realm.

His other hand was gentle and light as it rested at her hip. Almost timid, as their feet shuffled, stiffly from side to side. As their hips swayed, slowly. But her favorite part of the song was starting, and often, it felt as if Hermione’s body had no control when music reached out and sunk itself into her heart. Her eyes fluttered, threatening to close as his feet shuffled closer to hers. Her free hand moved to his shoulder and gripped onto the hard flesh there.

And it was as if Malfoy was falling into the hypnosis that so commonly latched onto people. Because his hand pressed more firmly into her hips before he slid around to the small of her back. The warmth that had threatened to steal her away began to wind its way around them, filling her entire body with heat as his fingers entwined with hers.

His chest pushed against her cheek and her eyelids finally succumbed, closing as he held her closer. His embrace was strong, firm. It was comforting.

She hadn’t been held in months. Hadn’t felt another human touch. Except for his. He had touched her three times, now, in only three days.

Something foreign was filling up her chest with hot air. She couldn’t admit to herself that it was not nerves as much as it was something stronger. Something dangerous.

Something like desire.

She could have sworn that as his cheek rested against the top of her head, that they were floating.

The music was winding up, a cacophony of beautiful instruments that all strung together, the horns louder than the clarinet before they dwindled, masterfully to a halt.

But they didn’t pull apart. They didn’t even stop swaying as Malfoy moved his hand up her spine, and around her shoulder. It settled, finally, at the back of her neck. The warm tips of his fingers were firmly pressed into her skin and she refused to open her eyes. She refused to pull away and face her new reality.

Because they were suddenly on a crash course for destruction. She could feel the chemistry between them. She could feel the bright curl of magic responding to the flare of sudden emotions charging deep inside of her.

“Hermione.” His voice caressed her as he wrapped his lips around her name. She suppressed another shiver before she opened her eyes and pulled back to look at him. She blinked rapidly up at him, eyes adjusting to the dim light of the coffee shop as his fingers stayed gently gripping onto her neck.

Something flicked in his expression, so quickly, she was unable to make it out. But his eyes were like a soft against her own. He licked at his lips and inhaled sharply. He held his breath for several seconds as she quickly gathered as much of hers as she could. But it was coming in short bursts, slivered through slightly parted lips.

It looked like he wanted to kiss her, it felt like she might want to let him.

But with an exhale, his hand fell and his eyes shifted to stare, once again out the window as another armored truck raced by. This one had no sirens, but the engine was so loud, just as menacing. Malfoy stepped away from her, leaving her body in a sudden chill.

“Will you be here tomorrow night?” His hands lifted so that his fingers could fasten the buttons at his collar.

She huffed out a breath of…what? Irritation? No, relief. Surely, it was relief. “I work every night except for Sunday and Monday.”

He nodded and picked up the coat from the nearby chair before quickly shrugging it on. He turned on his heels and aimed for the door. But, before he could reach for it, he hurried back over, grabbed the hand that had been linked with his own and lifted her knuckles to sweep his lips across them.

“Thank you,” he smirked. “For the dance.” And then he swept away from her. Leaving her, once again, totally speechless.

[the-witchy-sideblog]

Plants for The Hunt/Slaughter

Carnivores and protocarnivores:

Rainbow plants (Byblis)

Trumpet pitchers (Sarracenia)

Tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes)

Sun pitchers (Heliamphora)

Sundews (Drosera)

Butterworts (Pinguicula)

Bladderworts (Utricularia)

Corkscrew plants (Genlisea)

Trigger plants (Stylidium)

Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

Albany pitcher plant (Cephalotus follicularis)

Cobra lily (Darlingtonia californica)

Powdery strap airplant (Catopsis berteroniana)

Carnivore bromeliads (Brocchinia hechtioides, Brocchinia reducta)

Portuguese sundew (Drosophyllum lusitanicum)

Northern dewstick (Roridula dentata)

African Liana (Triphyophyllum peltatum)

Western false asphodel (Triantha occidentalis)

Fly catcher bush (Roridula gorgonias)

Non-carnivorous:

Rhododendron (Rhododendron)

Red poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

Asian bleeding-heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

Bloodleaf (Iresine herbstii)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Corpse flower (Lycoris radiata)

Blood lily (Haemanthus coccineus)

Blooddrop (Adonis annua)

Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)

Canary islands dragon tree (Dracaena draco)

Big marigold (Tagetes erecta)

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Foxtail amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus)

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Oleander (Nerium oleander)

[odditiesnoctobermidnightroad]

Words from Fluffy: “ Hi there. Hello. So if you like plants -growing them, drawing them, eating them- I’m YOUR bun! Kind of. I mean- I know all about different kinds of plants. Also fungi too, which are not plants. But they are in the ground and can be creepy too, so I let them in --this is a prompt-tober for ‘artists’.

Acorns and falling leaves. (note: are dangerous to horses)

Cordyceps Fungi. They zombify bugs. 

Fly agaric mushroom. Don’t touch

Wolfsbane flowers. Don’t touch. 

Eye of Newt. It’s mustard. 

Toe of frog. It’s buttercups

Wool of bat. It’s holly leaves. 

Tongue of dog. It’s Houndstongue. Don’t touch. 

Deadly Nightshade(s). So many. Don’t touch.

A lush-green lawn- wait for it; in a place where it has no place being well kept. 

Corpse Flowers. They’re big and that’s really what their name is!

The good-old venus flytrap. Treat them well. They’re friends for life. 

Tomatoes. They’re on the attack. 

A house plant. Like the lawn, imagine one being in a place it really should be. 

Cactuses. Work best in desserts, obviously!

Pomegranates. And their seeds. 

Dracula Orchid. Yes, these are real. They’re all black too. 

Roses. With thorns. The best way to show someone you’ll do anything for love. 

Foxgloves. Because I think foxgloves are neat!

Bleeding Tooth Fungus. 

Droseras! Also called sundews. They’re my favorite! 

Willows. The greatest tree of them all -no take-backs.

Rafflesia flowers. So disgusting. 

Giant Water Lilies; in case the water wasn’t scary enough. 

Wolf apple bushes. They grow in South America. 

Poppies! They’re also poisonous. 

Pitcher Plants. Be it trumpet or toilet. 

A still life of fruit. (note: fruit rots)

Calla Lilies. You see them at funerals all the time!

Pumpkins, Gourds and Beets. You can carve them out. 

Marigolds. Also known as Calendula flowers, the flower of October. 

Draw each fungi/plant listed for every day of October and see what grows out of these nifty ideas. Please.” - Fluffy.

[scarletbegoniasjunk]

I was thinking about a cool idea for a highschool AU for ROTTMNT + Usagi bc I never really see any and it’s one of my favorite tropes. Also, since it’s the second semester at my school, all the clubs and sports teams are showing off to get younger students to join next year, and it kinda inspired this idea. Anyways, I present to you my headcanons for what electives they take and stuff :) (ps, this is based on how my school runs electives and it’s a bit janky lol)

Raph:

Wresting team (heavyweight CHAMP)

Football (he’s only on bc his coach makes him stay; usually in the offensive lineman position)

Art, pottery specifically (Mikey made him take it and he ended up liking it more than he though he would)

Home economics (he likes the sewing)

Donnie:

Orchestra (cello)

Band (Saxophone)

Track + field

science club (robotics/STEM)

Volunteers at the school library

Mathletes club

Student Council

Mikey:

Art (he jumps between which one specifically every semester, but he likes using paints and oil pastels)

Band (trumpet)

Cooking club

Makes posters and stuff for the school when they commission him

Baseball team (batter)

Basketball team (small forward position)

Leo:

Basketball team (shooting guard position)

Football team (running back position)

Track + field

April:

Orchestra (cello)

Volleyball (manager and setter)

Softball (pitcher)

Science club (robotics/STEM)

Student Council

Volunteers at the library with Donnie

Usagi:

Volleyball team (libero)

Basketball team (Point Guard)

AP math (Japanese school is harder than school in America, and math is math everywhere, so I imagine he would be a little ahead)

Student council (don’t ask him how he got on, he doesn’t know)

Does karate (Judo) at a local dojo

I don’t know enough about Usagi’s friends to write about them rn. I’m hopefully going to draw up some comics or something for this soon! Sorry for such a long post lol

[haveyougrownthisplant]

[keaalu]

Ghosts, chapter 1

“Well, Sarra, our supplemental feeding appears to have done the trick! I am glad you are looking so much healthier.”

Lieutenant Hiro set the tweezers to one side and screwed the lid back onto the jar of dried mealworm crumbs, then stood back to admire the plant he was talking to.

Yes, it was really starting to look rather splendid, now – a circlet of trumpets all topped with rich pink leaftips. The sunlamps above it seemed to make it glow from within.

After encountering (and accidentally befriending) the monstrous giant sundew Zelda had sent to Earth, Hiro’s curiosity had been piqued, and he’d adopted a Sarracenia, adding the carnivorous plant to Spacehawk’s little private orbiting jungle. The stately North American trumpet pitcher hadn’t particularly enjoyed being aboard, for a long time; a combination of artificial gravity, artificial light, the wrong water and no insects to eat had left it looking sad, with crispy brown tips to its dry pitchers.

After Hiro had reviewed the amount and type of water he gave it, hastily purchased mealworms to feed it, and fretted over it for a few weeks, at last the plant had settled in. The newest pitchers were still small but had already blushed an intense lacy magenta at their tops.

“So do you want me to add ‘buggy bits’ to our monthly supply order?” a bored voice asked, from the other side of the flight deck.

Hiro glanced around to meet the gaze of his zeroid companion, and smiled, affectionately. “Oh, I think even six-monthly should be far more than adequate, Owun. But if you could add it to our inventory, that would be good, thank you.” He turned the plant a little under its light, and checked again that it had enough water in the dish beneath it. “Once I have established an ideal feeding routine, I would like it if you could set me a regular reminder for those, as well.”

“Sure thing, Hiro. Just let me know what you want, when you’re ready.” After a moment, 101 added, more brightly; “She is looking pretty nice again.”

Hiro knew that for all that Space Sergeant 101 griped about Spacehawk’s private onboard forest, a lot of it was now just keeping up appearances, and the zeroid had (privately, or so he apparently thought) grown fond of the assorted plants aboard – particularly as looking after them was something he could actively be involved with. It was no secret that in spite of the occasional grumble, 101 would do literally anything for his beloved Hiro, and although he was perhaps a little too clumsy to do much more than dust and water, he treated being trusted to help look after the plants like a declaration of true love from his human – which, in a way, Hiro had finally realised… it probably was? In that quiet, understated way he did most things.

The lieutenant had never expected to fall in love in the first place, let alone with the silly, fussy little thing he shared a large proportion of his life with. But there was no denying it; ever since that time 101 – or Owun, as most Terrahawks had taken to calling him these days – went missing in London, Hiro had begun to feel… something. He’d kept trying to tell himself that it was just a lost zeroid, and he was just worried that someone might get access to Terrahawks secrets, and he was just frustrated that he personally was going to train someone new to take the command position, but… really? He’d missed his shipmate dreadfully.

It probably wasn’t a huge surprise that they’d grown close. Yes, it had taken Hiro a (slightly embarrassingly) long time to cotton on to the fact that there was something rather deeper to his little shadow’s behaviour than just robot-happily-following-instructions – Captain Falconer had finally taken him to one side and told him, in no uncertain terms, what literally everyone else could apparently see was going on. But after a few days of awkwardness (and a long, very frank conversation, triggered by a trip to the theatre) they’d both realised that actually, all they were really doing was putting a new name on what they already had.

They were still feeling their way, carefully; figuring out how it all worked and what they both wanted, but aside from Owun being much (much) more likely to try and initiate snuggles, now? They’d happily got back into the same old routines and were just as comfortable in each other’s company as they’d always been.

“Indeed! Another happy plant. Good work to both of us,” Hiro declared, brushing imaginary dirt off his hands.

“Well, I think that was more than ninety-nine percent your work, but I’m not going to say ‘no’ to listening to you say nice things about me.”

Hiro chuckled and patted the top of the zeroid’s casing in passing, and was rewarded with a chirpy laugh and an attempt at an affectionate headbutt.

With Mars approaching its most distant point from Earth, and Zelda being suspiciously quiet, it was affording Hiro a little time to devote to his experiments, like the whole tray of genetically-enhanced zinnia seedlings that he was currently nurturing. He wasn’t particularly keen on the enemy’s ongoing silence, but he implicitly trusted the zeroids to warn him the instant anything happened. Space zeroids didn’t get “antsy” and were quite contentedly watching the solar system’s various comings and goings. While they remained relaxed, so could he be.

Owun could usually be counted on to shatter the peace. “Ooh, sir! I have a-… con-… tact? …I think?”

Hiro straightened and turned to look properly at him; when the zeroid went from excited alarm to confusion in what amounted to less than a single breath, it was rarely a good sign.

The sergeant had canted over at a jaunty angle, like a puzzled dog with its head cocked. “Actually I’m not sure what I have.”

“Explain?” Hiro slipped immediately back into the role of serious professional, turning his attention to the console displays.

“Well, there’s… something out there? A teensy bit beyond Earth’s gravitational sphere of influence. Everyone is telling me they’re picking up a massive energy signature, but we can’t see what it’s coming from. It doesn’t look like it has any mass? And I didn’t see it coming!” At Hiro’s quirked eyebrow, Owun shifted defensively on his perch. “…because it just appeared out of nowhere.”

“Appeared out of nowhere?” Hiro echoed. “You know that is impossible.”

“Well I don’t have a better explanation just yet so I’m sticking with it. It did just appear.”

For the zeroid to double down on something patently absurd – energy did not just spontaneously generate out of nothing – suggested there was something else going on that was just a step or two beyond his imagination.

Hiro tapped his fingers to his lips. “When we first encountered Zelda, she had miniaturised her vessel,” he mused. “And all we could see was the energy signature. Does this match up with the readings we took then?”

“Ten-zero, lieutenant. And it hasn’t moved, either. Whatever it is, it’s just sitting there.”

“Does it match any other known phenomena in Spacehawk’s databases?”

“Ten-zero.”

“Hmm. Bring up a visual feed and let me look.”

Owun threw the current view up on the screen, and waited.

Hiro leaned over the control console and watched for several seconds. It remained a stubbornly motionless starfield. Whatever the zeroids were all looking at, it was indeed invisible to human eyes. “Compile the results from different spectra, appraise, and tell me what you see,” he instructed.

“One moment sir…” Owun got his crew to enhance their zoom, and the image shifted slightly, the stars becoming fractionally blurrier as the zeroids all focused on something new. The image rippled briefly with distortions as a variety of analytical filters turned on and off.

After a minute or two of interpretation, the sergeant came back with a succinct evaluation: “Not sure. It looks like a lot of dust, really.”

Hiro swallowed the sigh. “Not terribly helpful. Do you have any scans from before you noticed it?”

Owun hummed and scrolled back through the logs, optics flickering. “It’s limited, as no-one was really focused on looking that way, but yes sir. Bringing it up now.”

The screen shifted subtly to reveal the same otherwise-empty starfield, slightly wider. Hiro watched it, for several seconds. He lifted a finger. “Space sergeant, where-”

“There! Did you see it?”

Hiro gave him a tense look. He didn’t like to ponder it too deeply just yet, but could there be a fault in the zeroid himself, somewhere? Or worse? He didn’t like to think the whole crew could be wrong when they were all so fixated on something, but stranger things had happened. “Replay it? Half speed.” The zeroid obliged, but Hiro still couldn’t make it out. “What are you looking at?”

“Uhm. Hmm.” Owun hastily did some more processing. “Let me see if I can-… there.”

The image replayed again – pixellated by the increased zoom, but this time Hiro saw it. A handful of stars at the centre briefly shimmered, winked out, then became visible again. It lasted barely a second. “What in the world-… What happened there?” It looked almost like a giant dark hand had briefly waved in front of them. “You say there is nothing there to physically account for the readings?”

“Aside from dust? Correct.”

Hiro opened his mouth to speak, but Owun got there first.

“Wait. Wait, there might be debris, as well.”

“Debris?” Hiro frowned at him, frustrated. “From what? You said there was nothing there! How did you not see-…” He lifted a hand, as if to cut himself off. “Show me? Full magnification?”

Owun looked a little offended by the accusatory tone but did as he was told. “Full magnification, ten-ten sir.”

The screen flickered and focused in on a handful of scorched, twisted lumps of metal, all slowly drifting outwards, away from each other. It looked like it had come from… some sort of explosion? An explosion they somehow hadn’t seen?

What on earth was going on.

“What did we miss this time?” Hiro spread his hands, palms out. “While we were looking at… meaningless historic scans?”

“We didn’t miss anything, lieutenant Hiro.” Owun spoke slowly and precisely, just to ensure there was no doubt in anyone’s mind. “There was nothing there. Then there was the energy surge, and the flicker, then dust. And now this.” His shutters had already pulled partway closed, hurt. “It is beyond my ability to explain, sir. I can only tell you what we see, and I made you aware of everything the instant we saw it.”

They just stared at each other for several heartbeats.

Hiro leaned his weight against the console. “…forgive me.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I did not mean to sound like I was accusing you of paying inadequate attention. Of course this is not your fault.” He offered his hand and let Owun bump his fingers, mollified. “I am… unsettled. Something we cannot define has apparently appeared from nowhere. Barely five minutes passed since you spotted the energy surge, and now debris has appeared.” He studied the displays, for the briefest moments. “What else might be happening that we cannot see? Are we under attack? Should we be doing something to defend ourselves?”

“We don’t see anything new,” Owun supplied, optimistically. “And it still hasn’t moved.”

“Good. Please may it stay that way.”

“…and I put our shields up already. Can’t be too careful.”

“Thank you.” Hiro found a small smile. “Good forward thinking, because I think we need to get closer.”

“I was worried you might say that.” Owun visibly deflated. “Precisely how much closer.”

“Close enough that we can pick up some samples. We need to focus on establishing some facts, because I am quite sure we will not be the only organisation to have noticed this, and Doctor Ninestein will not be happy with vague answers.”

“Can’t we just throw probes at it from over here?” But from the way his optic display was scrolling, the zeroid was already computing their journey. “Just in case it bites.”

The pitch of Spacehawk’s generators changed as her engines fired, and Hiro felt his weight shift with the inertia of the great battleship moving away from orbit. It didn’t take long to cover the distance; Hiro took advantage of the brief period of quiet to update Hawknest.

“All right. This appears to be a good distance.” The young man took a steadying breath. “Let us take a closer look.”

“Ten-ten, sir. Bringing up a wide view now.”

The screen came up with an augmented visual; the bright tapestry of the natural stars overlaid with digital enhancements showing the individual pieces of debris, the extent of the dust, and the mysterious energy source.

Curiously, all the debris was travelling away from the apparent epicentre in one direction. Hiro drummed his fingertips against the console. That was not how explosions tended to work. “You are certain your crew have not missed anything…?” he suggested, carefully.

Owun gave him one of those looks. “We’ve been scanning constantly since we saw it. I’ve been compositing the results ever since.” He at least managed (this time) not to sound terribly offended by the insinuation. “If we missed anything, it’s because it was invisible.”

Hiro pursed his lips and returned his gaze to the screen. “None of this is behaving as I would expect.” He flicked two fingers against the screen to zoom in on one of the floating objects. “It should not be all going-” Something worrying caught his eye. “Wait, stop! Hold the frame there.”

The screen froze.

“Do you see what I do?” Hiro asked, very quietly, touching one specific area of the image on the screen.

Owun studied the frame. It was too small and distant to see much, particularly while it was still rotating, and whatever Hiro was wanting him to focus on was still just a black smudge that defeated his rudimentary imagination. “Let me see if we can get a better look.”

Now his team all knew where to focus their attention, the image that came back was sharper, and larger.

And harder to hide from.

The piece of metal continued its lazy twisting path through space, and as it turned, a logo became visible. A stylised bird of prey, front on, wings spread, holding something in its talons. Whatever it carried had mostly vanished in the blast that had torn the metal apart, but enough of it was left – a horizontal straight line, like the top bar of a capital T – that neither officer could deny their own eyes any more.

“Does that not look like our insignia?” Hiro prompted, quietly.

“But we didn’t do that!” Owun had already rocked slightly backwards on his perch in alarm. “…did we?” A little side to side flitter of the optics, as it looking for a hidden camera. “Is someone testing us, sir?”

Hiro frowned at him. “To achieve what? This was not unscheduled target practice-”

“But why else would anyone be using our emblem?! It has to be a test-! And- oh no, does this mean we failed? What will happen now-”

Hiro put his hands up in a plea for calm and thankfully the zeroid focused on him instead of fretting over his personal thesis. “I am anxious about what this might mean, as well,” he eased. “But I think we can be confident that it is not a test. It does not appear to be trying to achieve anything, and quite possibly breaks the laws of physics.”

“But…” Owun looked back at the image on the screen. “It’s our logo.”

“And why would someone detonate something with our insignia on to test us?”

“To… check… we were paying attention?” Owun suggested, hopefully. “If it’s not a test, what is it?”

“I don’t know. It is… worryingly near to Earth, and we cannot explain it.” Hiro lifted a finger. “Yet.”

“Do you think it’s Zelda?”

“It would not surprise me if it was. Faking our insignia to pin any blame for something bad on Terrahawks does seem like her style. But I also think we are making hypotheses based off barely thirty minutes of study. We need some samples.”

Owun knew what that meant. He didn’t look happy about it, but squared himself up on his perch. “Ten-ten, sir. I’m taking 76 and 22 with me.”

“Good. I will leave it to you to decide on what you collect. In the meantime, I will start programming some probes to get closer.”

The other two zeroids met Owun at the airlock. They were happily unperturbed and obediently followed him out, which helped the sergeant feel a little more anchored. Telling himself it was all just a big test helped, too. Just to keep him and Hiro on their toes, make sure they were still operating at the top of their game. Nothing at all sinister or remotely scary.

The debris had continued its peaceful way away from the disturbance, rotating serenely, and gave Owun the chance to study it in detail as it passed.

Unmistakably a Terrahawks logo; all in black, with a line of engraved digits along the top edge. 00002

If this was the second one, what had happened to the first?

Well, that was for geniuses like Hiro to figure out. Owun fired an anchor line and snagged it, and reversed his own motors to bring it to a halt.

Take this back to Spacehawk, he instructed, guiding the chunk of metal over to the waiting 76, and go to cargo bay one. Lieutenant Hiro will tell you were he wants it for analysis.

76 chirped his acknowledgement and set off; 22 stayed patiently watching and waiting for orders.

I’m sending 76 back with a sample, Owun updated his commander. It’s the bit with our logo.

Ten-ten; thank you. Have you identified anything new?

Only that there’s a serial number on it. Nothing else yet. I’m gonna see if I can see where the dust is coming from.

Take care, Hiro cautioned. Don’t go too close. We have plenty of probes.

Using little bursts from his positioning motors, Owun approached the co-ordinates of the disturbance. The energetic centre of it, about twenty metres away, glowed like a small star in augmented reality, but visually? There was nothing at all to see. Even the dust was difficult to pick out against the black of the cosmos. He turned one of his running lights on and the dust became a thin grey haze under the sterile white glow.

A sharp sensation not unlike pain shot through his cortex. Alarmed, he automatically snapped his shutters closed, protectively, but the sensation disappeared almost as quickly as it had come on. Felt a little like he’d rolled over a live cable.

He was just evaluating if it was safe to open back up when he bumped into a piece of floating debris; it made him jump. There hadn’t been anything this way to bump into! He opened up a tiny slot and peeked out.

A piece of twisted metal was spinning away from him, trajectory altered by the impact. Where had that come from?

Actually, come to think of it… There was a lot of debris here. Far more than he’d seen before closing his shutters, when picking out which pieces to get his crewmates to take back to the ship. Sure there’d been plenty of dust, but not enough to obscure his vision to the degree that it would have stopped him seeing all this.

Can you see this, lieutenant? he asked.

Silence.

Well, that couldn’t be right. Had that painful sensation fried his antenna, too? He ran a hasty diagnostic and it seemed absolutely fine.

Lieutenant Hiro, I’ve found some more wreckage that we couldn’t see on the scans. Please acknowledge.

Silence.

Perhaps Hiro was just busy. Getting the lab ready.

Owun cycled to a backup frequency and tried again. Spacehawk, please come in.

Still no response. The zeroid fired a motor and got himself turned around, to face back towards home.

Things had… changed? He stared at it, baffled. Not just the extra debris – 22 had vanished, but there was no way he could have got all the way back to the ship in the few seconds Owun had his shutters closed. And the orbital battleship was further away than it had been – quite a bit further, actually.

Oh, he did not like this.

…Hiro? Honey? he tried, faintly. Please respond?

It felt like everything was dead. It was never this quiet!

I don’t like this. Where is everyone? But it was like talking into the void. Please guys. Did I do something to offend you? I made sure Hiro knew you hadn’t missed anything! I didn’t blame you! Please talk to me? Where are you all?

Owun set off on the long journey back to the ship, hoping that she wouldn’t move in the time it took him to get there. His own little onboard motors were good enough to transit the few kilometres in a decent timeframe but if Spacehawk took off without him, well. It’d take weeks to get back to Earth on his own from here.

He was at least finally satisfied that this had not been a test.

Spacehawk loomed up in front of him – unexpectedly dark and forbidding, large parts painted black and blending in with the dark of space, lacking the orange markings around her generators and engines.

Where normally Spacehawk had a bank of chattering space zeroids, keeping watch and alerting him to anything they spotted (and who would hopefully have been hailing him with greetings already), instead there was a heavy and obvious battery of sophisticated weaponry.

What. The. Heck.

He’d never been scared of his own ship before but right now he almost didn’t want to go near it.

Almost. Couldn't figure this out by running away from it.

Had he passed out? Had he been drifting dormant in space, impossible to find? Had he been offline for so long, that without him to command the space zeroids, they’d been forced to install some other defensive mechanism against Zelda?

No, ridiculous. He liked to think he was indispensable but the brutal truth was they’d just program a new sergeant, not build a whole new defence system. Perhaps the dependable but command-averse 17 would get an (unwanted) promotion. Spacehawk would never have sat right here near the dust patch for the whole time it took to build a bunch of laser guns, either.

And anyway, his chronometer had dutifully ticked along as normal, not missing so much as a microsecond, and when he sent a request to the earth’s universal timekeepers, it all matched up, within the usual acceptable relativistic margin of error for space travel.

The thing that worried him more – all right, frightened him, a teeny tiny little bit – was the fact that the clock didn’t say Coordinated Universal Time.

It said Coordinated Imperial time.

His first thought was that someone was playing an unkind joke on him. (Wouldn’t have been the first time Sergeant Major Zero had come up with something stupid like this to prank him with.) But he couldn’t work out how anyone could have done it so quickly? Or thoroughly. If this was a prank, someone was really flaming committed to it.

The door was still in the same place, at least. He hastily navigated over to it and boarded the vessel, and allowed himself a second or two of relief that he was safely aboard. The airlocks clonked weirdly and didn’t quite react to his code like they normally did, but eventually let him through.

Down in the maintenance accessways, it was… quiet. He peered around himself. Usually there was some sound aboard – crew moving around, the hisses and clicks and clonks of great ship’s internal mechanisms, the rattle of equipment being serviced. The inaudible electronic chatter of the onboard zeroids, too, constantly talking to each other over the various servers and shortwave communicators.

This felt more like a ghost ship. No voices anywhere.

“Hello?” Owun tried, faintly. His voice echoed slightly.

Well, you’re not going to figure it out if you stay down here hiding by the airlock all day, he scolded himself. Get up to the flight deck and talk to Hiro. He’ll be able to figure it out.

He set determinedly off into the maze of tubes, trying to ignore just how loud he sounded as he rolled.

He was halfway to the command centre when he rounded a corner and crashed into another zeroid with their positioning beacon offline.

Owun automatically protested; “Hey! Watch where you’re-”

Then he froze, the rest of the words dying unspoken in his vocaliser.

For several seconds, they just stared at each other.

The zeroid he’d collided with was particularly scruffy, sorely needing a good bath and a polish, with a chipped dusky pink brow band marked with three digits.

1 0 1

It was… him?

[umbrae-sortilegium]

ℐ𝓃𝓉𝓇𝑜𝒹𝓊𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒯𝑜 𝒮𝒽𝒶𝒹𝑜𝓌 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒸𝒽𝒸𝓇𝒶𝒻𝓉 ℬ𝑜𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒾𝒸𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝓉 𝟸 Aɴ Aᴜsᴛʀᴀʟɪᴀɴ Gᴜɪᴅᴇ Tᴏ Usᴇғᴜʟ Hᴇʀʙs﹐ Fʟᴏᴡᴇʀs ﹠ Oᴛʜᴇʀ Bᴏᴛᴀɴɪᴄᴀʟs. Australian native plants are a rich source of botanical diversity, offering a multitude of herbs, shrubs, and trees that have been utilized for various purposes, from culinary and medicinal to spiritual and ritualistic. In the realm of shadow witchcraft, which is often associated with dark and mysterious practices, many native Australian plants hold a sacred and sometimes even poisonous significance. These plants are revered for their unique properties and the connections they establish between practitioners and the spirit world. Many plants, herbs, flowers and other botanicals Witches use in the Northern Hemisphere are not available in Australia- the following are commonly found throughout Australia and are respectfully used by the custodians of the land, and its sacred Elders.

One of the most iconic and potent Australian native plants associated with shadow witchcraft is the Brugmansia, commonly known as the Angel's Trumpet or Daytura. This plant contains alkaloids that can induce hallucinations and visions when ingested or inhaled. For shadow witches, Brugmansia is often used in ritualistic settings to commune with the spirit world and gain insights into the mysteries of the beyond. However, its poisonous nature makes it a plant to be handled with extreme caution.

Another plant with a deep connection to shadow witchcraft is the Duboisia hopwoodii, commonly referred to as Pitcher Plant. This carnivorous plant produces toxic compounds, including scopolamine and atropine, which can induce hallucinations and delirium when ingested. Shadow witches are known to use this plant to enhance their psychic abilities, gain insight into the hidden realms, and enter altered states of consciousness.

The Tasmanian Devil's Marbles, scientifically known as Euphorbia obesa, are a group of succulent plants native to Australia. Their peculiar appearance has led them to be associated with mysticism in the realm of shadow witchcraft. These plants are believed to contain energy that can be harnessed for protection, divination, and banishing negative influences. Ingesting any part of these plants can be toxic, making them a powerful but perilous tool in the hands of shadow witches.

The Stinking Roger, or Tagetes minuta, is another Australian native plant with a connection to shadow witchcraft. It is known for its pungent odor, which is said to repel evil spirits and negative energies. Shadow witches often use this plant as a protective herb in rituals and spells to create a barrier against malevolent forces. It is not inherently toxic but should be used cautiously due to its strong aroma.

The Sandpaper Fig, or Ficus coronata, is a bushy native Australian plant that has been associated with shadow witchcraft due to its unique texture and appearance. The leaves of this plant have a sandpaper-like texture, symbolizing the concept of "rough magic." Shadow witches may use the Sandpaper Fig in spells and rituals to manifest change, overcome obstacles, and disrupt the status quo. Ingesting the leaves is not recommended, as they may cause digestive discomfort.

The Smokebush, or Conospermum stoechadis, has significance in shadow witchcraft due to its ethereal appearance and the mystical aura it emits. Its unique, cloud-like flower clusters give it an otherworldly quality, making it a plant associated with the veiled realms. Shadow witches may use the Smokebush in spells and rituals to call upon the spirits of the departed or to enhance divinatory abilities. While not inherently toxic, it should be used with respect and care.

The mysterious Black Kangaroo Paw, or Anigozanthos manglesii, is a plant associated with shadow witchcraft due to its striking dark color and its symbolism as a gateway to the hidden realms. Shadow witches may use the Black Kangaroo Paw in rituals to explore the shadow self, work with the energies of transformation, and connect with ancestral spirits. Ingesting any part of this plant is not recommended, as it can be potentially harmful.

The Australian native Sturt's Desert Pea, or Swainsona formosa, holds a sacred place in the practices of shadow witchcraft due to its striking crimson flowers and its connection to the spirit world. This plant is believed to be a bridge between the living and the deceased. Shadow witches may use the Sturt's Desert Pea in rituals to communicate with the souls of the departed and seek guidance from the other side. While the plant itself is not poisonous, it should be used with reverence for its spiritual significance.

The Purple Loosestrife, or Lythrum salicaria, is a plant native to Australian wetlands and is linked to shadow witchcraft due to its vibrant and alluring appearance. Shadow witches may use this plant in love spells and enchantments to manipulate the emotions and desires of others. While not poisonous, it should be used with ethical considerations and an awareness of the potential consequences.

The Sundew, or Drosera spp., is a group of carnivorous plants native to Australia, known for their glistening, sticky tentacles that trap insects. Shadow witches may incorporate the Sundew in their practices to harness the energy of entrapment, binding, and control. While not poisonous to humans, these plants are fascinating symbols of the shadowy aspects of nature.

The Tasmanian Blue Gum, or Eucalyptus globulus, holds significance in the world of shadow witchcraft due to its association with protection and purification. Shadow witches may use its leaves in rituals to banish negative influences and ward off malevolent spirits. While not toxic, the essential oils from this plant should be handled with care and diluted properly.

The Blackwood, or Acacia melanoxylon, is an Australian native tree with dark wood and a deep, mystical significance in shadow witchcraft. Its timber is often associated with transformation, as it is used to craft ritual tools and sacred items. Shadow witches may seek to connect with the spirit of the Blackwood tree to channel its energies for personal growth and empowerment. While not poisonous, the tree's wood should be sustainably harvested to honor its sacred connection.

The Wollemi Pine, or Wollemia nobilis, is a rare and ancient conifer native to Australia that has a profound connection to shadow witchcraft. Its status as a living fossil and its resilience throughout history make it a symbol of hidden knowledge and endurance. Shadow witches may use the Wollemi Pine to gain insight into ancient wisdom and connect with the spirits of the past. Harvesting this tree from the wild is strongly discouraged, as it is a critically endangered species.

The Velvet Bush, or Lasiopetalum schultzei, is a native Australian shrub associated with shadow witchcraft for its velvety, dark foliage. Shadow witches may use this plant in spells and rituals to connect with the energies of mystery and transformation. While not toxic, the Velvet Bush should be used with reverence for its symbolic significance in shadow magic.

The Grey Spider Flower, or Grevillea buxifolia, is a native Australian plant with spidery, otherworldly flowers that have a mystical quality associated with shadow witchcraft. Shadow witches may use this plant in rituals to communicate with spirit guides and to tap into the secrets of the unseen realms. While not poisonous, the Grey Spider Flower should be approached with respect for its spiritual significance.

The Black Kangaroo Paw, or Anigozanthos manglesii, is a unique and striking Australian native plant that holds a special place in shadow witchcraft due to its dark color and symbolic connection to the hidden realms. Shadow witches may use the Black Kangaroo Paw in their rituals to explore the mysteries of the shadow self, facilitate transformation, and communicate with ancestral spirits. While not inherently toxic, this plant should be handled with care and respect for its sacred associations.

The Devil's Twine, or Cassytha glabella, is a parasitic plant native to Australia that has gained notoriety in shadow witchcraft due to its enigmatic growth and ethereal qualities. Shadow witches may incorporate the Devil's Twine in their spells and rituals to enhance their psychic abilities and explore the boundaries between the living and the spirit world. While not poisonous, it should be used with caution, as it is a plant that embodies both mystery and connection.

The Finger Lime, or Citrus australasica, is a small, citrus-bearing tree native to Australia, and its unique fruit is associated with shadow witchcraft for its symbolism of hidden revelations and unexpected knowledge. Shadow witches may use the Finger Lime in rituals to reveal hidden truths and access concealed information. While not toxic, the fruit should be used with intention and respect for its symbolic significance.

The Desert Bloodwood, or Corymbia opaca, is a native Australian tree with dark, gnarled bark and a connection to shadow witchcraft. Its resilience in harsh environments and its deep-rooted nature make it a symbol of inner strength and transformation. Shadow witches may use the Desert Bloodwood in rituals to access their inner power, overcome obstacles, and harness the energy of change. While not toxic, this tree should be approached with a sense of reverence for its symbolic associations.

The Australian Shepherd's Purse, or Capsella bursa-pastoris, is a plant with small, heart-shaped seedpods and is associated with shadow witchcraft for its symbolism of hidden desires and secrets. Shadow witches may use the Shepherd's Purse in spells and rituals to uncover concealed truths and tap into the realm of the subconscious. While not toxic, it should be used with a sense of intention and respect for its symbolic significance.

The Queen of the Night, or Selenicereus grandiflorus, although not native, it can be commonly found. Queen of the Night is a cactus with night-blooming, fragrant flowers that have associations with shadow witchcraft. The mysterious and ephemeral nature of these flowers makes them symbols of hidden desires and forbidden knowledge. Shadow witches may incorporate the Queen of the Night in their practices to access the hidden aspects of themselves and explore the depths of their desires. While not poisonous, the cactus should be handled with care due to its spines.

The Flannel Flower, or Actinotus helianthi, is a native Australian plant with delicate, daisy-like flowers that have connections to shadow witchcraft due to their ethereal beauty. Shadow witches may use the Flannel Flower in spells and rituals to invoke the energies of enchantment, attraction, and the hidden mysteries of nature. While not toxic, this plant should be approached with respect for its symbolic associations. Eucalyptus, often referred to as gum trees, is an iconic Australian genus, comprising over 700 species. It has a long history of use by Indigenous Australians for medicinal purposes and forms an integral part of their cultural heritage. The leaves of many Eucalyptus species are rich in essential oils, making them valuable in the production of traditional remedies and modern pharmaceuticals. Additionally, the bark and leaves of various Eucalyptus species have been used in indigenous medicine and witchcraft practices. Kangaroo Paw, or Anigozanthos spp, is a group of plants native to southwestern Australia and is known for its strikingly unique flowers resembling a kangaroo's paw. In Aboriginal culture, the plant holds significance due to its use in traditional medicines and rituals. Its vibrant colors and distinctive shape make it a powerful symbol in shadow witchcraft, often associated with transformation and adaptability. Banksia, a diverse genus of shrubs and trees, is also deeply rooted in Aboriginal culture, with numerous species being used for food, medicine, and tools. The Banksia serrata, known as Old Man Banksia, is particularly noteworthy for its gnarled appearance and is associated with ancestral spirits in Aboriginal mythology. In shadow witchcraft, its seeds and woody cones are believed to possess protective qualities. Acacia, commonly known as wattle, is a diverse genus comprising over 1,000 species in Australia. The Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) is the national floral emblem and has cultural significance for Indigenous Australians. Acacia has a long history of use in both traditional medicine and magical practices, with its fragrant blooms often employed in spells related to love, purification, and psychic enhancement.

The Tasmanian Blue Gum, or Eucalyptus globulus, is a species of Eucalyptus tree known for its aromatic leaves and distinctive blue-green foliage. It is often used for spiritual and cleansing rituals in shadow witchcraft, particularly for its association with psychic insight and dream work. In some Indigenous Australian cultures, the Tasmanian Blue Gum holds significance as a source of timber, tools, and medicines.

The Black Wattle, or Acacia mearnsii, is an invasive species originally from Australia but now found in various regions around the world. It has significance in both traditional Aboriginal medicine and shadow witchcraft, where it is often used to enhance one's psychic abilities and intuitive insights.

The Waratah, or Telopea speciosissima, is a striking native shrub with brilliant red flower heads that are a source of great beauty and significance in Australian flora. It has been used in Indigenous culture for its vibrant appearance and in shadow witchcraft for its associations with love, passion, and transformation.

The Xanthorrhoea, commonly known as grass trees, are iconic Australian plants with tall, slender trunks and tufted, grass-like leaves. These plants have various uses in Aboriginal culture, from making tools and weapons to providing food. In shadow witchcraft, the resin produced by Xanthorrhoea is often used for its protective and purifying qualities.

The Snake Vine, or Hibbertia scandens, is a twining climber native to eastern Australia. It gets its name from the twisted and serpentine appearance of its stems. This plant has been associated with various magical and medicinal uses in both Indigenous and witchcraft traditions, often linked to its sinuous form and its connection to the serpent archetype including the Dreamtime Serpent and other Australian ancestral spirits and deities. The Stinging Nettle, or Urtica incisa, is a native Australian plant known for its stinging hairs that cause discomfort when touched. In some forms of shadow witchcraft, this plant's stinging properties are harnessed for protective spells, curses, or rituals involving pain and transformation.

The Native Violet, or Viola hederacea, is a small, creeping plant with dainty violet flowers. It has cultural importance in some Aboriginal communities and is associated with protection and healing in shadow witchcraft, particularly in matters of emotional well-being.

The Pigface, or Carpobrotus spp, is a succulent plant with colorful, daisy-like flowers that are found in coastal regions. In some Indigenous cultures, the Pigface has culinary and medicinal uses. In shadow witchcraft, it is associated with protection, especially in coastal areas, and is believed to have grounding properties.

The Geraldton Wax, or Chamelaucium uncinatum, is a shrub known for its abundant pink or white flowers. It is used in shadow witchcraft for its qualities of purification and protection, often used in rituals and spells to cleanse spaces and ward off negative energies.

The Bush Tomato, or Solanum centrale, is a small fruit-bearing plant found in arid regions of Australia. It has culinary and medicinal uses in Indigenous cultures and is often associated with fertility, abundance, and nourishment in shadow witchcraft.

The Hakea, a diverse genus of shrubs and small trees, is native to Australia and has significant cultural and ecological importance. In shadow witchcraft, the Hakea is associated with resilience, adaptability, and protection, especially in the face of adversity.

The Poisonous Gimpi Gimpi, or Dendrocnide moroides/excelsa, understood to be a Kabi Kabi- a word meaning 'devil'- is notorious for its intensely painful stinging hairs, making it one of the most feared plants in Australia. In shadow witchcraft, its venomous nature is harnessed for curses and hexes, symbolizing the power to inflict pain and suffering.

The Desert Rose, or Gossypium sturtianum, is a striking, pink-flowering shrub native to arid regions. It is used in shadow witchcraft for its associations with transformation, resilience, and blooming in harsh conditions.

The Sturt's Desert Rose, or Gossypium sturtianum, is a hardy shrub native to arid regions of Australia, known for its striking pink flowers. Shadow witchcraft, is often associated with endurance, survival, and the ability to thrive in challenging environments.

The Balaustion, or Callistemon spp, is a genus of shrubs commonly referred to as bottlebrushes due to their cylindrical, brush-like flowers. It has significance in Indigenous cultures and is used in shadow witchcraft for its symbolism of cleansing, purification, and renewal.

The Blackthorn, or Bursaria spinosa, is a native Australian shrub with sharp, thorny branches and white flowers. It has been used in Indigenous medicine and holds a dark symbolism in shadow witchcraft, often associated with protection, barriers, and defensive magic.

The Fairy Fan Flower, or Scaevola spp, is a delicate, trailing plant with fan-shaped flowers. It is used in shadow witchcraft for its associations with grace, adaptability, and the whimsical world of the fae.

The Kangaroo Apple, or Solanum aviculare, is a native Australian plant with greenish-yellow fruit. It has been used in traditional medicine by Indigenous communities and is associated with transformation, shape-shifting, and altered states of consciousness in shadow witchcraft.

The Weeping Myall, or Acacia pendula, is a distinctive tree with pendulous branches and has significance in Indigenous cultures. In shadow witchcraft, it is associated with emotional release, healing, and purification.

The Yellow Alder, or Turnera ulmifolia, is a small shrub with bright yellow flowers. It has been used in Indigenous medicine and is associated with enhancing intuition and clairvoyance in shadow witchcraft.

The Tea Tree, or Leptospermum spp, is a group of evergreen shrubs and small trees known for their antibacterial and healing properties. In shadow witchcraft, the Tea Tree is often used for cleansing and protection, especially in rituals involving purification and banishing negativity.

The Silver Banksia, or Banksia marginata, is a coastal shrub with silvery leaves and cylindrical flower spikes. It is used in shadow witchcraft for its protective qualities and its ability to ward off negative energies. The Grasstree, or Xanthorrhoea spp, is a group of slow-growing, tree-like plants with tall flower spikes. It has cultural significance in some Aboriginal communities and is associated with longevity, wisdom, and protection in shadow witchcraft.

The Emu Bush, or Eremophila spp, is a group of shrubs with colorful, tubular flowers. It has been used in Indigenous medicine and is associated with healing, transformation, and psychic abilities in shadow witchcraft.

The Dorrigo Pepper, or Tasmannia stipitata, is a native Australian shrub with small, peppery berries. It has been used in traditional Indigenous cuisine and is often associated with spicy, transformative energies in shadow witchcraft.

The Quandong, or Santalum acuminatum, is a small tree with bright red fruit. It holds culinary significance in Indigenous cultures and is used in shadow witchcraft for its associations with vitality, passion, and protection. Australia's native herbs and plants encompass a vast and diverse botanical tapestry, with deep roots in both Indigenous culture and the realm of shadow witchcraft. The connections between these plants and their spiritual and magical attributes are rich and complex, reflecting the intricate relationship between the natural world and the human psyche in this unique and ancient land. Whether used for healing, protection, transformation, or other mystical purposes, these native Australian plants continue to play a significant role in the spiritual and cultural fabric of the continent. Should you have any questions about any native flora in your area and what magical/spiritual qualities they hold- feel free to ask the questions and I will answer to the best of my abilities.

My qualifications are rooted in an in-depth understanding of Australian medicinal plants, their profound medicinal values, and their sacred applications within indigenous practices cherished by the ancestral people of this land. Through years of dedicated research and engagement with indigenous communities, I have acquired a comprehensive knowledge of the unique flora found across Australia and the remarkable healing properties they possess. This knowledge extends beyond mere botanical expertise; it delves into the cultural, spiritual, and traditional significance of these plants in the daily lives and sacred rituals of indigenous peoples.

In addition to my hands-on experience, I have also earned an advanced diploma in herbal medicine, which further deepens my expertise in harnessing the therapeutic potential of native Australian plants. This formal education has enabled me to apply a scientific perspective to the rich traditional wisdom I have gained from indigenous communities, bridging the gap between ancient knowledge and contemporary herbal medicine practices. It equips me with the skills necessary to analyze, extract, and prepare medicinal remedies from these plants, ensuring they are used safely and effectively.

My immersion in the indigenous communities of Australia has been a transformative and invaluable aspect of my journey. By sitting with numerous indigenous families, I have been fortunate enough to witness and participate in their sacred rituals and medicinal practices, thereby enriching my knowledge with first-hand experiences and insights. This unique opportunity has allowed me to not only learn about the medicinal properties of these plants but also understand the spiritual and cultural contexts in which they are utilized. This profound connection to the sacred land and its people has deepened my respect for their traditions and their incredible contributions to the field of herbal medicine, making me well-equipped to honor and preserve this rich heritage. © Dʏsʜᴀɴᴋᴀ/Oᴅᴇᴛᴛᴇ ₂₀₂₃

[faguscarolinensis]

Sarracenia purpurea / Purple Pitcher Plant at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC