The direberry is indigenous to the planet of Belvoir in the Threshold. Though it naturally produces human-edible fruit, it is difficult to cultivate and can be mildly poisonous, though not deadly, to eat if harvested before ripe.
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Etymology
The name "direberry" was chosen as the bush that produces the berry only grows in extreme climates in the mountains of Belvoir. Though it has been successfully cultivated in artificial environments, it is difficult to do so.
Evolution and Subspecies
Due to the difficulty of harvesting and cultivating the direberry plant, few subspecies exist.
Physical Characteristics
The berry and its seed are highly valued as they only grow in altitudes and cold temperatures that are otherwise normally not considered arable by Earth-plant standards, which also makes harvest difficult. The dried seeds contribute calcium, iron, and magnesium to the diet, and other minerals are easy to add into the seed as it gains rigidity not through traditional fiber, but by utilizing naturally occurring minerals, which it readily accepts; this allows for easy modification of flavor by adding desired minerals into the fertilizer of the direberry.
The berry also adds a sugar- or xylitol-like substance that acts as a sweetener, but is also not digestible by bacteria, so like xylitol it also improves dental hygiene while still flavoring the tea with a flavor often likened to vanilla and raspberry, which readily masks the flavors of the minerals found in the seed. For additional flavor, the skin and dried fruit of the berry is a common addition to the tea-leaf mixture, though care must be taken to ensure that the skin is left intact and not consumed, as it tastes bitter if chewed after drying.
The skin of the berry is thick and chewy, able to stretch when frozen to preserve the berry.
Behavioral Characteristics
Direberry plants grow on mountain-sides, making them difficult to harvest in large quantities, contributing to the berry as a significant export of the planet of Belvoir. It rarely grows taller than one meter in height and is extremely resistant to freezing cold temperatures and copious amounts of light, though it produces little fruit in temperatures greater than 11°C.