Glossary • Flora and Fauna and More-A • Xa ~ Xz
Xixi {KSEE-ksee}
plant of the planet Oraea
Minuscule trees - first called ‘xixi’ by local children, now so called by all - have long grown on Oraea in the calderas of The Xeonexai’s Inner Spine.
The Xeonexai is a subcontinent in Oraea's northwest marked by petrified trees and forests. The Inner Spine is its central mountain chain and home to the majority of its more lush calderas. The whole place is an old, long-volcanically cold region of crumblejagged mountains and petrified forests that are visible in all degrees of fallen.
While petrified trees can be found across the Xeonexai region, it is rare to find these tiny trees outside of the calderas there; their inner lives are so complex that the unique soils of these calderas are necessary for their healthy survival. Even so, they can always be found growing through - or at the very least somewhere very near to - some part of a petrified tree. These tiny trees create marble-colored berries one-size-up from tiny, and in abundance besides.
Taste experiences range from sweet to juicy, dry to tart to sugared blackcurrant tart. Roots are often found to consist of several tiers, these being necessary to process the total transfer of life-sustaining waters and goodies from the rich caldera soil (and farther beyond).
Recipes rarely specify which berry/ies, what ratio, or for how long to steep them. If properly steeped, even a single berry can release a wealth of flavor; considering their comparative abundance across any harvest (and the generous quantities in dried storage across Oraea), anyone who has any berries should have well enough to taste, share, and explore besides.
When foraging on Earth, substitute raspberries, gojiberries, acaiberries, elderberries, and/or mulberries.