Elkwort
# Overview
Elkwort is a herb native to the continental regions of the 2nd and -1st realms, related to ferns. It is a common garden plant, used in Corothic and Stonechild Imperial cooking. Its name comes from the food’s prevalence in the diets of elk and other species of deer.
# Appearance
Elkwort is a small, low-lying plant, with fiddleheads that unfurl into short, wide fronds. Their flesh is dark green, almost black in regions of high radiation. They spread out in wide patches, which are often pruned into garden patches.
# Uses
# Leaves
Elkwort leaves are used as a herb in Corothic and Stonechild Imperial cooking, added to salads, soups, and other dishes. They are also boiled in water to create herbal elkwort tea. The leaves are used in medicine to heal wounds and illness, as they contain high amounts of salicylic acid.
# Roots
Elkwort roots are chopped up and boiled for use in soups, stews, and stocks. They are hard and inedible raw, but become nutricious and soft upon boiling. Likewise to the plant’s leaves, the roots also have medicinal effects and are used to treat illness.