Redbell

Redbell

Campanella

A textbook illustration of the Rossan redbell. A. A side drawing of the full plant, including its root system. B. A close-up of the stem's leafy sheathes. C. The redbell flower, placed to face upwards.

Redbells (Ros. Campanelle, literally "little bells") are a type of flowering plant, endemic to the mountains of Montesuvia in La Rossa. Perennial in nature, the flowers bloom in the Summer of each year, and are highly sought after during this period. The sweet nectar produced by its characteristic red flowers is extremely valuable due to the plant's rarity, and is enjoyed by many of the island's nobility. The plant has become one of the nation's rare luxury exports, and is featured on its flag, becoming a widely adopted national symbol in the past fifty years.

Description

Redbells growing in the Montesuvian mountains.

Redbells are a perennial plant which blooms in summertime, when it grows a single bright red flower, marked with its distinct five petals. The individual petals grow to about 4cm in length. It is endemic to the Montesuvian mountain range. Although the stem's structure is supported by several leafy sheathes, the flower loses its support past a height between 16 and 24cm. As it grows in size, the flower begins to hang downwards from its stem, giving rise to the flower's namesake bell-like shape. It is believed that the downwards bend is used to allow for the slow drip of the plant's nectar, which is excreted at the base of the pistil and flows down towards its tip.

The plant's nectar is faintly reddish to orange in color, and is highly potent in its aroma and sweetness. Apart from only sugars, the nectar has been identified to contain significant amounts of natural sweeteners many times stronger, namely campanellum, named after it. Although their taste has been described as sickeningly sweet, the other sweeteners are believed not to hold significant amounts of nutritious value, but continue to provoke the taste of sugar-saturated drinks. It is believed to have developed as a cost-effective way of attracting pollinators without expending too many of the plant's nutritious substances. In addition to the nectar's strong taste, it also contains a strong olfactory aroma, which tends to spread through the mountain winds.

The redbell has an expansive fibrous root system, which spreads through the ground in order to give it stronger footing in its mountainous environment, preventing it from being uprooted by the strong mountain winds. Despite the harshness of its environment, the redbell does not tend to survive outside of it. Attempts at replanting them in order to grow them closer to the coast have been unsuccessful. The plants are not used to most climates, and even minor differences in altitude and soil have been shown to induce wilting. Despite its relative fragility, the redbell has adapted to and thrives in its environment.

The flag of La Rossa, featuring the redbell flower, alongside the mountains it grows on.

Uses

The plant's sweetener-rich nectar has for centuries seen culinary use among Rossans. Believed to have developed in order to attract pollinators into the harsh mountains, it has also attracted the attention of the humans living on the island. The nectar has been described as sickeningly sweet, even in small amounts. Although it is too potent to be consumed on its own, and can often lead to nausea, the nectar is traditionally diluted with larger quantities of water, allowing for only a few small drops to sweeten a full glass. The flower's red dye, extracted with either water or alcohol, is often added to the drink, despite having no taste.

The redbell flower has become adopted as a national symbol following the Second Calming, as a successful, if artificial attempt at creating a shared Rossan national identity was undergone by Dux Falcone's Entrance Commission. Featured in the nation's flag, as well as in various political, military and civilian honors, it has become adopted as a symbol of the people's perseverence and the thriving Rossan culture in spite of the Storm. Historically, it was also featured on the flag of Lorma.