Baumaz

Baumaz is a fictional genus of flowering trees developed for worldbuilding and speculative biology. In this imagined taxonomy, Baumaz comprises a single species, Baumaz sylvatica, commonly referred to as the baumaz tree. The genus is described in in-world field guides and reference codices as a temperate-zone tree native to the montane forests of Eldara, a biome in the fictional continent of Aeloria.

Baumaz sylvatica grows 10–15 meters tall, with a straight trunk up to 40 cm in diameter. The bark is smooth and gray-brown; leaves are simple, alternate, ovate, 5–12 cm long, with a finely serrated margin. The tree produces panicles of small, pale yellow flowers in late spring; fruit is a winged samara about 2–3 cm long that disperses with the wind.

It favors well-drained, loamy soils in cool, humid montane forests at elevations roughly 900–1800 m. It is largely shade-tolerant when young and forms mixed stands with several conifers and broadleaf species. Its flowers attract native bees and hoverflies, while its seeds are consumed by small birds and mammals.

In the fictional society of Eldara, Baumaz sylvatica is valued for its timber, which is light and moderately durable, and for ornamental use in parks. It is also cited as a symbol of resilience in regional folklore.

Baumaz is a coined genus name in the setting; Baumaz sylvatica is the species epithet, meaning forest-like or woodland in the in-world language. The name combines elements thought to evoke trees and growth.