andranno

Andranno is a fictional genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, created for world-building and encyclopedic exercises. In the imagined geography, Andranno is native to the montane forests and alpine meadows of the fictional continent of Serenia, where it forms a small but recognizable component of the flora.

Taxonomy and species: The genus currently comprises three described species: Andranno caeruleum, Andranno virens, and Andranno rubrum. Plants are herbaceous perennials with creeping rhizomes. Leaves are opposite, lanceolate, with sharply serrated margins. The stems are slender and often unbranched in the upper portion.

Morphology: Andranno bears typical Asteraceae capitula, with a central disk of small yellow florets surrounded by ray florets. Ray colors vary by species: caeruleum shows blue to lavender rays; virens tends toward pale greenish-blue; rubrum has reddish-tinged rays. The achenes have a light, bristly pappus for wind dispersal.

Habitat and ecology: It favors cool, moist, well-drained soils at elevations between 1,200 and 2,600 meters. It is adapted to partial shade and is sensitive to prolonged drought. Pollination is primarily by bees and butterflies; seed dispersal is mainly wind-driven, aided by the pappus.

Uses and cultural context: In Serenian fiction, Andranno is valued ornamentally and is sometimes cited in traditional remedies within its lore. In ecological fiction, it is depicted as a mid-successional species contributing to understory diversity. There is no record of commercial exploitation beyond ornamental cultivation in the imagined setting.