avlasta

Avlasta is a fictional genus of flowering plants devised for speculative biology and worldbuilding contexts. In the imagined taxonomy, it lies within the family Verneaceae, order Lamiales, and comprises two described species: Avlasta viridella and Avlasta aurea.

Description: Avlasta plants are herbaceous perennials with glossy, ovate leaves and terminal panicles of small tubular flowers. Flower color ranges from pale greenish-yellow to golden yellow, and the corolla often has a faint scent that attracts pollinators.

Distribution and habitat: In the fictional Varadia bioregion, Avlasta species occupy damp woodland margins and marsh edges from sea level up to about 600 meters, thriving in moist, well-drained soils with dappled shade.

Ecology: Pollination is primarily by hummingbirds and native bees; seeds disperse through wind and water in marsh landscapes. The plants display moderate drought tolerance once established but prefer consistent moisture.

Taxonomic history and names: The genus was described in 1932 by the fictional botanist A. Darin, with a later revision in 1987 by S. Kline that clarified species boundaries. A synonym sometimes appearing in older manuscripts is Avlasta peltata.

Uses and cultural significance: Avlasta is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate gardens within the imagined setting. In Varadian folklore, it is associated with renewal and resilience and is said to reappear after seasonal floods. No widely recognized economic uses exist outside the constructed world.

See also: fictional plant genera; worldbuilding flora.