Arctic flora:
The arctic regions of Gor, the home of the Red Hunters,
are not as barren as might be suspected. There are approximately 240 varieties of flora that grow within five hundred pasangs
of the north pole. Only the areas near the glacial ice are generally bereft of plant life. Small perennials are a common type
of vegetation. The growing season is too short for annuals to adequately grow. During the cold winters, the buds of the perennials
lay dormant in a fluffy, protective sheath. Out of all of the different types of flora in this region, none of the plants
have thorns or are poisonous. There was no need to develop such defences due to the dearth of predators that could threaten
such vegetation.
Bazi tea:
This is an herbal tea that comes in many different varieties. Thus there are a number of shrubs
that provide tea leaves though no specific names are ever given for them. As Bazi tea is a common drink, the tea shrubs may
no longer be limited only to Bazi and may grow in a number of different places.
Black wine:
This is a coffe-lik drink made from beans grown in the mountain city of Thentis. Thentis
does not trade the beans to make this drink. It is very strong and bitter, almost like expresso coffee. It likely has an Earth
origin, especially due to its limited area of growth on Gor.
Brak bush:
This is an odorous shrub and its leaves, if chewed, have a purgative effect which means that
they may induce vomiting. The brak bush also figures into certain superstitions associated with the Gorean New Year. During
the Waiting Hand, the five-day period before the start of the New Year, many people seal the doors of their homes with pitch
and nail branches of the brak bush to the doors. This is done to prevent the entry of bad luck into the house for the New
Year. On the first day of the New Year, the pitch is then washed away and the brak branches are burned.
Cacao trees:
These trees grow in the tropical regions of Gor and their beans can be used to make chocolate.
These appear very similar to Earth cacao trees.
Carpet plant:
This is a plant of the rainforests of Gor. They possess strong tendrils that can be used as ties
to secure items.
Clover:
This is a plant on Gor similar to the Earth plant of the same name.
Dina:
This is a small, short stemmed flower that grows primarily on hill slopes in the northern temperate zones of
Gor. It is much rarer in the southern hemisphere so Dinas are more valuable there. In its budding, though in few other ways,
it resembles an Earth rose. The Dina is sometimes referred to as the "slave flower" though the precise origin of that designation
is unknown. There is one legend concerning its origin centering on an Ubar of Ar. This Ubar pursued and captured the daughter
of one of his enemies, finally trapping her within a field of Dinas. The Ubar scanned his surroundings and chose to name his
new slave Dina. Dina is a common slave name and there is even a brand that resembles a Dina. Girls that bear the Dina brand
may be referred to as "dinas." There is another reason why Dinas may be called the slave flower.
".., It is, though delicate and beautiful, a reasonably common,
unimportant flower; it is also easily plucked, being defenceless, and can be easily crushed, overwhelmed and, if one wishes,
discarded."
~Slave Girl of Gor, p.62~
Fern:
This is a plant on Gor similar to the Earth plant of the same name.
Festal:
This is a type of shrubbery that grows in the Vosk delta and possibly elsewhere. There is no
description of it within the books.
Flahdah:
This is a tree of the Tahari region that resembles a flat-topped umbrella on a crooked stick.
The flahdah has narrow branches holding lanceolate-shaped leaves. Its trunk leans like a palm tree and they do not get taller
than twenty feet high.
Flaminium:
This is a large flower with five, scarlet petals. Its buds are large and it is likely that it
is aromatic.
Flower tree:
It is unknown if this is an indigenous tree or whether it has been specially cultivated by men.
The tree has a segmented trunk and many beautiful flowers. In some gardens, the trees are cultivated so that the flowers cluster
together so that each such cluster can be used as a bouquet. The colors of the flowers are cultivated as well so that each
cluster contains an interesting array of shades and colors. These are likely very expensive trees.
Fruit:
There is a wide variety of fruit that grows on Gor. They include many types similar to Earth
fruits such as apricots, berries, cherries, dates, grapes, melons, olives, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranates and strawberries.
The cherries and red olives of Tyros and the olives of Tor are famed across Gor. There are also fruits indigenous to Gor such
as larmas, ram-berries, Ta grapes, and tospits.
Grass:
A number of different colored grasses exist on Gor including violet grass, dark blue grass and
a yellowish-orange grass. Other colors might exist as well.
Hogarthe trees:
These trees are reminiscent of Earth poplar trees. They are white-barked with shimmering green
leaves. They are about fifty feet tall and lay about thirty to forty feet from each other. They are most commonly found near
areas of water within the Barrens, the home of the Red Savages. These trees are named for Hogarthe, an early white explorer
of the Barrens region.
Ka-la-na tree:
The Ka-la-na tree is also known as the wine tree because the famous Ka-la-na wine is derived
from its fruit. The bark and inner wood of this tree is yellow and the wood is actually very strong and supple. It is commonly
used in making bows. The tree fruit that can be eaten as is or used to create wine. The tree smells sweet, likely due to its
fruit and not the wood itself. The books unfortunately do not describe what Ka-la-na fruit looks like. Ka-la-na orchards are
very common across Gor and many cities make their own brand of Ka-la-na wine. Though Ka-la-na wine is depicted in the books
predominantly as red, there is some indication that may not be its only possible color. Ka-la-na does come in sweet, dry and
light varieties.
Kanda:
This plant grows primarily in the desert regions of the southern hemisphere though it can even
be found in the northern hemisphere. The roots of the kanda plant, when ground and dried, are extremely toxic. A paste is
often made of the poison and then applied as a glaze to a blade or needle. This glaze may look white once it has melted a
bit from the heat. It is a deadly poison and few honourable Goreans, except for women, would use it. The leaves of the kanda
plant are not toxic though they carry their own form of harm. The leaves are often rolled into a string and then either chewed
or sucked. The leaves act as a narcotic drug and they are addictive. The southern hemisphere has a greater problem with such
addictions due to the prevalence of the plant there.
Katch:
This is a foliated leaf vegetable, likely similar to lettuce, cabbage or spinach.
Kes:
This shrub grows best in sandy soil and its roots extend deep into the ground. The secondary
roots of the shrub are bleu in color and taste salty. They may be eaten and are the primary ingredient in sullage, a type
of soup.
Kort:
This is a brown and thick-skinned, sphere-shaped vegetable which is about six inches wide. The
interior is yellow, fibrous and heavily seeded. It grows in the Tahari region and is often served sliced with melted cheese
and nutmeg
Larma:
There are two varieties of larma, a hard larma and a segmented larma. The hard larma has a crunchy,
red skin like an apple. It has a single-seed, a large stone, and thus is also called a pit fruit. The segmented type is very
juicy and more similar to an orange.
Leech plant:
This is a dangerous plant that subsists off of blood. The plant can sense living creatures that
pass by and it can strike quite fast. Almost like a vampire, it attaches two hollow, fang-like thorns into its victim. It
makes a loud popping and sucking sound as its bladder-like, seed pods expand and contract, drawing blood through its thorns.
On well traveled roads, these plants are cleared from the sides of the road. They are mainly dangerous to children and small
animals. But, an adult, who does not check a wooded area before camping there for the night, could also fall prey to its dangers.
Liana vine:
This is a plant in the rainforests that can be used as a source of drinking water if you are
knowledgeable of it. You would make a cut high on the vine, over your head. Then, you would make another cut about a foot
off the ground. This vine tube could then hold a litre of water, depending on recent rainfalls.
Lotus-like flowers:
These aquatic flowers, similar to the Earth lotus, are found on Gor though it is unknown what
they are called on Gor.
Needle tree:
This is an evergreen tree, indigenous to Thentis and the northern forests. Its oil can be used
to make perfume.
Palm trees:
There are more than 1500 varieties and types of palm trees in the rainforests though only a few
are specifically mentioned in the books. Some palm trees have leaves that are twenty feet long. One type of palm tree mentioned
in the books is the fan palm. This palm grows in the rainforests of Gor and like the liana vine, can be a source of water.
The fan palm is commonly over twenty feet high and its leaves are spread open like a fan. Rain water falls into the fan and
is collected at the bottom. It can hold up to a litre of water. Date palms are another type mentioned in the books. Date palms
can grow to be over one hundred feet tall. It takes a date palm about ten years before it first bears any dates. But, after
that time, the palm will bear fruit for the next one hundred years. Each year, a date palm will provide about forty to two
hundred pounds of dates. There is a palm wine on Gor, an export of city of Schendi, but no description was ever given of this wine
so its color, flavour and such are unknown.
Pod tree:
This is a tree indigenous to the rainforests and its inner bark can be used to make a bark cloth.
Ram-berries:
These berries are like a tiny plum. They are small, reddish berries with edible seeds.
Rence:
The rence plant is a tall, leafy plant indigenous to the Delta region though it can be found in a few other
marsh areas on Gor. Rence plants have a long root, about four inches thick, that rests underwater and extends out horizontally
from the stalk. A number of smaller roots descend from this main root into the muddy soil of the Delta. Above the water, a
number of long stems raise up into the air. There may be as many as a dozen stems and they may extend up to sixteen feet into
the air. It will also commonly have a lone floral spike extending amidst the stems. The Caste of Rencers live within the Delta
region and their primary business is the growth, cultivation and use of the rence plant. Rence has many uses though its primary
use is to make a form of paper.
Rep plant:
This is a small, reddish woody bush. The seed pods of this bush contain a whitish, fibrous matter
that can be used to make cloth. Rep is commercially grown in several areas, especially below Ar and above the equator. Rep
cloth is cheap, strong and dyes well. It is a common fabric for slave livery and many Low Castes.
Sa-Tarna:
This is a tall, yellow grain that is the staple crop of Gor. Sa-Tarna bread is a major product
of this grain. Sa-Tarna grain also makes Pagar-Sa-Tarna, paga for short, a fermented brew that may be the most popular alcoholic
drink on Gor. There is a hybrid variety of Sa-Tarna that is brownish and grown in the Tahari regions as it has been adapted
for the heat of the desert.
Sim plant:
This is a rambling, vine-like plant with huge, rolling leaves that is cultivated in the pasture
chambers of the Nest of the Priest-Kings within the Sardar Mountains.
Sip root:
This is a very bitter root that can have a contraceptive effect. In some areas, such as the Barrens,
sip root is chewed raw and it will act as a contraceptive for about three to four months. It is also used in the cities as
an ingredient in slave wine. Slave wine currently acts as an indefinite contraceptive, countered only by the use of a special
releasor.
Sul:
This is a tuberous root vegetable like a potato. It is commonly large, thick-skinned, starchy,
and yellow-fleshed. It is a Gorean staple and can be served in a myriad of different ways. Peasants also make an alcoholic
drink out of suls called sul paga. It is similar to a very potent moonshine.
Ta grapes:
These grapes may have originated on the island of Cos
though they are now grown in many areas. They can be as big as a tiny plum and are often peeled by slaves before served. A
famous wine is made from these grapes and Cos is supposed to
have the finest quality Ta wine. Different cities have their own varieties of Ta wine, but none better than Cos. The color of this wine was never stated in the books.
Talender:
This is a delicate, yellow petaled flower. The talendar is often associated with love and beauty.
Free women may wear talendars at the feast celebration of her Free Companionship or maidens may weave them into garlands to
wear. Slaves may also wear talendars though free women strongly object to it. If a slave girl affixes a talendar into her
hair, this is a silent signal to her Master that she wishes to be raped. A slave girl may also fix talendars in her hair if
she has finally submitted to her Master but fears telling him of that fact. The talendars will be a silent signal of her surrender.
Telekint:
This is a plant, common in the Tahari region, and its roots can be used to create a red dye.
You simply mash the roots and mix them with water.
Tem-wood:
This is a tree that produces a very strong and supple black wood. This wood is often used in
important construction work.
Teriotrope:
This is a colorful and fragrant flower. Its exact description is not given in the books.
Tes:
This is a type of shrubbery that exists in the Vosk delta and possibly elsewhere as well. Its
exact description is not given in the books.
Teslik:
This is a plant whose extract is the active ingredient in breeding wine, the releasor for slave
wine.
Tobacco:
Tobacco is basically unknown on Gor. In the Sardar though, one person did grow some tobacco,
imported from Earth. This is an extreme exception and tobacco does not exist anywhere outside the Sardar.
Tor Shrub:
This shrub, found in the Vosk delta and elsewhere, is known by various different names. This
name translates as "bright shrub" or "shrub of light." This shrub has abundant bright flowers, either yellow or white. It
blooms in the fall season and does not grow higher than a man's waist.
Tospit:
This is a yellowish-white peachlike fruit, about the size of a plum. It comes in either a short
or long-stemmed variety. The short stem is the more common variety and usually has an odd number of seeds. The rare, long-stemmed
variety though does not. The tospit is a fairly hard-fleshed fruit and are very bitter but are often used sliced with honey,
in syrups, or for their juices as a flavouring. They are good to protect seamen against disease and thus are sometimes called
seamen's larma. It is easy to dry and store aboard a ship. The long-stemmed variety are not available until late in the summer.
Tur tree:
This tree is a lofty, reddish tree that may grow to two hundred feet or more. It is similar to
the redwoods of Earth. It is very common in the northern forests of Gor. The city of Turia derived its name from these trees. Legend states that a Tur tree was found
on the southern plains near a spring. No one knows who wanted the tree there or why. A city then grew in that area and would
become known as Turia.
Turl bush:
This bush is used by the Red Savages of the Barrens to waterproof hides.
Tur-pah:
This is a vinelike, tree parasite that lives on Tur trees. Its leaves, scarlet and ovate, are
edible and are a main ingredient in sullage, a type of soup.
Vangis:
This is an unknown type of fruit or vegetable. They are mentioned though never described in the
novels.
Vegetables:
There is a wide variety of vegetables grown on Gor. They include many types similar to Earth
vegetables such as beans, cabbages, carrots, corn, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, squash, and turnips. There are
also vegetables indigenous to Gor such as katch, korts, and suls.
Veminium:
There are a couple different varieties of this flower. Generally, it refers to a blue wildflower
commonly found in the lower ranges of Thentis Mountains. It can be used in the making of perfumes. There
is also Desert Veminium which is a small purplish flower that grows on the edges of the Tahari region. It too can be used
to create perfume. Both flowers can be boiled in water and the vapors can be condensed into an oil. In the Tahari, that oil
is used to perfume water and such water is then used to wash one's eating hand before and after dinner.
Verr grass:
This is a common type of brownish grass on Gor likely named as such because verr enjoy grazing
on it.