Nosturilla

Nosturilla is a fictional genus of flowering plants used in speculative fiction and worldbuilding. In the imagined taxonomy, Nosturilla is placed within the family Asteraceae and described as a small perennial native to the misty uplands of the Altaran archipelago. The plants are typically low-growing, with rosette leaves and slender flowering stems bearing blue to violet composite heads. In many narratives, Nosturilla contains an essential oil called nosturillol, valued for its aromatic properties and attributed with calming effects in traditional remedies and perfumery.

Ecology and distribution are described as Nosturilla thriving in cool, damp, rocky habitats and forming mutualisms with certain soil fungi. It is usually depicted as relying on nocturnal hawk moths for pollination, and its seeds disperse by wind through light, winged achenes. The genus is often portrayed as having a limited geographic range and facing threats from habitat disturbance caused by mining or agricultural development in the fictional setting.

Taxonomic history and cultural role: The genus is typically attributed to a fictional botanist, Dr. Elara Morn, who allegedly described Nosturilla in a 2147 reference work, with Nosturilla azurea as the type species. Culturally, Nosturilla appears in legends about island healers and appears in contemporary stories as a symbol of resilience and renewal. While its chemistry is described in passing in some texts, the properties of nosturillol are part of the fictional world and not supported by real-world science.