loetelus

Loetelus is a fictional genus of flowering plants created for speculative worldbuilding in Velorian biogeography. In the imagined flora, Loetelus is placed in the family Loetaceae and includes several species commonly known as loetels. The genus is described as endemic to the temperate forests of Veloria, a fictional continent.

Loetelus species are small to medium shrubs or herbaceous perennials, typically 0.2 to 1.5 meters tall. Leaves are simple and opposite or alternate. Flowers are small, actinomorphic, and usually pale yellow or lilac, arranged in dense inflorescences. The fruit is a dry capsule containing numerous tiny seeds, with dispersal aided by wind and gravity.

They inhabit shaded understory zones with moist, well-drained soils. They form ectomycorrhizal associations and are pollinated mainly by native bees and small flies. In Veloria, loetels contribute to forest structure and provide early-season nectar for pollinators.

The genus name Loetelus is derived from a fictional botanist Loe and the Greek telos, meaning end, a nod to the plant's edge-habitat preferences in Velorian forests. The first description appears in the Velorian Flora Compendium (2149) by A. K. Mora. Described species include Loetelus alba, Loetelus viridis, and Loetelus luteus.

In the fictional setting, loetels are occasionally used ornamentally and in imagined traditional medicine, though these uses are part of worldbuilding and not part of real-world practice.