Tilansa

Tilansa is a fictional genus of flowering plants created for worldbuilding and speculative fiction. In the imagined taxonomy, Tilansa belongs to the family Tilansaceae and comprises several species of evergreen shrubs native to the cloud forests of the fictional continent Nyara. The best-known species are Tilansa alba and Tilansa purpurea. Plants are described as compact, with glossy, lanceolate leaves and panicles of small, tubular flowers that range from white to pale violet. Fruits are capsules containing multiple tiny seeds.

In ecological terms, Tilansa is portrayed as shade-tolerant and moisture-loving, thriving in cool, humid ravines at elevations roughly 800–2000 meters. It is said to form associations with mycorrhizal fungi and to be pollinated mainly by moths and night-flying insects; seed dispersal is described as occurring via frugivorous birds.

Uses and cultural significance: In-world, Tilansa is cultivated as an ornamental plant in fictional gardens and parklands. Some cultures attribute medicinal or ceremonial properties to Tilansa extracts, though such claims are fictional within the narrative. The plant often features in folklore as a symbol of endurance and renewal after floods or fires.

Taxonomy and etymology: The genus name honors Tilansi, a guardian figure in Nyaran mythology. The first in-universe description appeared in Flora of Nyara, Volume 3, by the botanist L. Soren, published in 2012.

Note: Tilansa is a fictional construct and has no standing outside of the imagined universe.

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