Cloves

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Description ~ Cloves are the immature unopened flower buds of a tropical tree which reaches heights of up to 45 feet. The bark is gray, the leaves are a shiny dark green, elliptical in shape and very fragrant. Small crimson flowers grow in triple clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit is a purple, one inch long drupe that resembles small nails with a tapered stem. The large end of the clove is the four-pointed flower bud. When fresh, they are pink, dried, they turn to a rust-brown color. The bouquet is distinctly pungent. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Cloves grow in the tropics and best near the sea. Rainfall must be at least sixty inches per year and a dry season is needed for harvesting and curing.
 

Use(s) ~ Cloves contain an essential oil which is a very strong antiseptic. Clove oil is often applied directly to an aching tooth, bringing immediate relief. It is a strong stimulant and carminative and used to treat nausea, indigestion and dyspepsia. Clove may also be used as an anti-inflammatory against rheumatic diseases. Has an anti-coagulant effect. 
 

Reference ~ "Do you smell it?" asked Ulafi. "Yes," I said. "It is cinnamon and cloves, is it not?" "Yes," said Ulafi, "and other spices, as well."
~ Explorers of Gor, page 98

 

Dates

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Description ~ No specific 'Gorean' description offered. Date trees are common as dense green groves at oases where their branches stretch high and their roots are deeply anchored in the earth. The trees grow between 40 and 100 feet tall. Only female date palms bear fruit, however, male trees that produce plentiful pollen are very precious, as the quality of the male pollen influences the size of the fruit and the rate at which it ripens. Traditonally cuttings of several pollen clusters from the male are inverted along clusters of the female flowers to encourage the best pollination. Approximately one month after pollination, small green fruits begin to appear on the female trees. As they grow during the summer months, the intense heat withdraws the moisture and some of the sugar from them. As the dates ripen, they go from green to either bright yellow or dark red in color (depending on variety) and finally a dark brown at harvest time. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Tahari, desert regions
 

Use(s) ~ Dates have long been eaten by pregnant or nursing women to assure they are receiving adequate vitamins and to boost their energy. Dried, dates make an excellent supply of traveling food.
 

Reference ~ The principal export of the oases are dates and pressed-date bricks. Some of the date palms grow to more than a hundred feet high. It takes ten years before they begin to bear fruit. They will then yield fruit for more than a century. A given tree, annually, yields between one and five Gorean weights of fruit. A weight is some ten stone, or some forty Earth pounds.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 37

 

Dina

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Description ~ A small, lovely, multiply petaled flower, short-stemmed, and blooming in a turf of green leaves, similar to an Earthen rose although it is an exotic, alien flower. Sometimes referred to as the slave flower.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Northern temperate zones
 

Use(s) ~ Dina water may be used to cure all kinds of ailments, such as trembling, constipation, drunkenness, skin and throat infections and insomnia. Dina hips contain high levels of Vitamin C and dina hip tea is often recommended in pregnancy. Dina oil can reduce high cholesterol levels. Dina is additionally used in face toners and perfume and are one of the most effective anti-ageing ingredients.
 

Reference ~ ...my own brand was the dina; the dina is a small, lovely, multiply petaled flower, short-stemmed, and blooming in a turf of green leaves, usually on the slopes of hills, in the northern temperate zones of Gor; in its budding, though in few other ways, it resembles a rose; it is an exotic, alien flower; it is also spoken of, in the north, where it grows most frequently, as the slave flower
~ Slave Girl of Gor, page 61- 62

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Garlic (aka Allium)

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Description ~ No specific Gorean description offered. Garlic produces a number of small bulbs called cloves, rather than one large bulb. Each bulb contains a dozen or more cloves, and is covered with a thin white skin. The larger outer cloves produce the best garlic. Garlic has flat leaves and a strong and characteristic odor. The fine, young leaves of sprouted garlic bulbils look like newly sprouted grass. The foliage has a fresh garlic flavor and is excellent when used in salads.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Garlic thrives in mild climates, yet it is an adaptable species and can be found world-wide.
 

Use(s) ~ Its oils are effective against both Gram-positive bacteria (such as staphylococcal and streptococcal infections), Gram-negative and acid-fast organisms; most effective in lowering elevated blood sugar levels as well as moderating high blood pressure; the oil penetrates skin readily and moves through the bloodstream quickly. Garlic is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that combats bacteria, intestinal parasites and viruses. In high doses it has cured encephalitis. Lowers blood pressure and blood cholesterol, discourages dangerous blood clotting. Two or three cloves a day cut the odds of subsequent heart attacks in half in heart patients. Contains multiple anti-cancer compounds and antioxidants.Lessens chances of stomach cancer in particular. A good cold medication. Acts as a decongestant, expectorant, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory agent. Boosts immune responses. Helps relieve gas, has anti-diarrheal, estrogenic and diuretic activity. Appears to lift mood and has a mild calming effect. High doses of raw garlic (more than three cloves a day) have caused gas, bloating, diarrhea and fever in some. Aged garlic may be better than cooked garlic. 
 

Reference ~ I have peas and turnips, garlic and onions in my hut.
~ Outlaw of Gor, page 29

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(Colored) Grass

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Description ~ Typical long bladed grass, displayed in a variety of colors ranging from yellow-orange to blue and violet.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Everywhere. Color and conditioning depends upon climate. 
 

Use(s) ~ Rich source of vitamins and minerals, encourages oxidation of the blood. Effective diuretic to purge impurities from the body. 
 

Reference ~ He picked up a stalk of a patch of violet grass, one of several hues used in such gardens, and began to chew on it ...He made his way across some dark blue and yellowish orange grass and came to the buildings set against one wall of the gardens.
~ Nomads of Gor, page 216-217, 219

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Hemp

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Description ~ An annual herb which grows 3 to 10 feet tall and has hairy leaves divided into 5 to 7 serrated leaflets; the leaves are often sticky with resin. The plants are distinctively male or female, based upon flowering. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Warm climates. 
 

Use(s) ~ Although the main interest most have in the female cannabis plant centers on its euphoric properties, the plant dos have medicinal properties which includes being used as a analgesic-hypnotic, topical anesthetic, antiasthmatic, antibiotic, antiepileptic and antispasmodic, antidepressant and tranquilizer, appetite stimulant, oxyocic, preventive and anodyne for neuralgia (including migraine), aid to psychotherapy and agent to ease withdrawal from alcohol and opiates (like kanda). The euphoric substances of cannabis (TCH) are found particularly in resins contained in the upper leaves and the bracts of the female flowers and buds. Rather than smoked in Earthen tradition, hemp would be formed into "smudge sticks" and burned as incense.
 

Reference ~ ... a Gorean long bow of supple Ka-la-na wood, from the yellow wine trees of Gor, tipped with notched bosk horn at each end, loose strung with hemp whipped with silk, and a roll of sheaf and flight arrows.
~ Raiders of Gor, page 2

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Honey

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Description ~ No specific Gorean description offered. Sticky sweet ooze produced by bees. Honey ranges from dark to light amber in color.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Mentioned both in far North and far South areas of Gor.
 

Use(s) ~ Honey has strong antibiotic properties. Has sleep-inducing, sedative and tranquilizing properties. Use sparingly as it is high in sugar. Raw Honey - An Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Viral, Anti-Fungal Substance. Truly raw honey contains bits of propolis, a combination of tree sap and honeybee secretions that bees spread around the honeycomb as an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal substance. Given the physicality of most Goreans, honey is a particularly beneficial substance. It is an aid that increases athletic performance and is a wound healing agent. Honey can be used topically as an antiseptic, therapeutic agent for the treatment of ulcers, burns and wounds. Because honey is composed mainly of glucose and fructose, two sugars that strongly attract water, honey absorbs water in the wound, drying it out so that the growth of bacteria and fungi is inhibited. Secondly, raw honey contains an enzyme that, when combined with water, produces hydrogen peroxide, a mild antiseptic. In addition to the specific enzymes found in honey, which may help in the healing process, honey also contains antioxidants and flavonoids that may function as antibacterial agents. Can also be used as a sweetener. 
 

Reference ~ I saw small fruit trees, and hives, where honey bees were raised; and there were small sheds, here and there, with sloping roofs of boards; in some such sheds might craftsmen work, in others fish might be dried or butter made. 
~Marauders of Gor, page 81

 

Kanda

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Description ~ A shrub that is thought to be related to the Earthen Coca plant. The plant grows to a height of about seven feet. The branches are straight, and the leaves, which have a lively green tint, are thin, opaque, oval, more or less tapering at the extremities. A marked characteristic of the leaf are multiple divisions bounded by two longitudinal curved lines once on each side of the midrib, and more conspicuous on the under face of the leaf. The flowers are small, and disposed in little clusters on short stalks; five yellowish-white petals, the anthers are heart-shaped.The flowers are succeeded by red berries. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Tahari- Desert Regions
 

Use(s) ~ Roots hold a highly addictive narcotic which may find other uses as a lethal poison. Has an extremely rapid effect. Leaves can be chewed for a milder effect, however should not be swallowed. Good samples of the dried leaves are uncurled, are of a deep green on the upper, and a grey-green on the lower surface, and have a strong tea-like odor; when chewed they produce a faint numbness in the mouth, and have a pleasant, pungent taste. Bad specimens have a camphoraceous smell and a brownish color, and lack the pungent taste.
 

Reference ~ Most was I surprised to find him holding a tiny, round pipe from which curled a bright wisp of smoke. Tobacco is unknown on Gor, though there are certain vices or habits to take its place, in particular the stimulation afforded by chewing on the leaves of the Kanda plant, the roots of which, oddly enough, when ground and dried, constitute an extremely deadly poison.
~ Priest-Kings of Gor, page 24

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Kes

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Description ~ A deeply rooted shrub with blue roots and a high salt concentration. Probably similar to Earthen Four-Winged Saltbrush, a densely branched semi-evergreen shrub with gray-green narrow leaves. Makes an excellent hedge or barrier in native area because of density and tendency to sucker. Has masses of yellowish seeds in fall which stay on in winter and attract small birds.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Gorean Deserts - Tahari
 

Use(s) ~ Used in the preparation of sullage. Potential to extract salt concentration for other uses.
 

Reference ~...and the salty, blue secondary roots of the Kes shrub, a small, deeply rooted plant which grows best in sandy soil. 
~ Priest Kings of Gor, page 45

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Liana Vine

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Description ~ A creeping vine.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Rainforests
 

Use(s) ~ Water source.
 

Reference ~ ...Another useful source of water is the liana vine. One makes the first cut high, over one's head, to keep the water from being withdrawn by contraction and surface adhesion up the vine. The second cut, made a foot or so from the ground, gives a vine tube which, drained, yields in the neighborhood of a liter of water....
~ Explorers of Gor, page 310

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Melons

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Description ~ Yellowish, red-striped spheres. Melons are annual, trailing herb, with large palmately leaves and bears tendrils, by which they are readily trained over trellises. Flowers (which have bellshaped petals, are either male or female, both kinds being borne on the one plant. The many varieties of melon show great diversity in foliage and still more in the size and shape of the fruit, which in some kinds is as small as an olive, in others as large as a gourd. Some are globular, others egg-shaped, spindle-shaped or serpent-like, the outer skin smooth or netted, ribbed or furrowed, and variously colored; the flesh, white, green or orange when ripe, scented or scentless, sweet or insipid, some bitter and even nauseous. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Temperate and warm regions of the world. 
 

Use(s) ~ Diuretic. The root of the common melon is purgative, and in large doses is said to be a certain emetic. 
 

Reference~ "Buy melons!" called a fellow next to her, lifting one of the yellowish, red-striped spheres toward me.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 45

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Needle Tree

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Description ~ A pinelike evergreen, characterized by thin, semi-hard leaves that look like needles. Bark is flaky, emitting a distinct piney scent.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Northern forests
 

Use(s) ~ Oil of the needles is used in making perfumes. The parts of the tree that are highly medicinal are the needles, inner bark and sap. Needle Tree tea is high in vitamins A and C. Excellent remedy for any ailment having to do with the throat, sinuses, and lungs. A heaping tablespoon of the fresh green needles steeped in boiling water then strained, can be used as an antiseptic gargle for sore throats, or unstrained can be used as an effective steam inhalation for clogged sinuses. Perhaps the most effective way to use needle bark is in a cough syrup. Not only does it work quickly to break up and expel trapped phlegm, it helps kill infection and reduces inflammation in the upper respiratory tract through its natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. A needle-tree bath is excellent for soothing skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and open sores. It also serves to reduce some rheumatic pain and other forms of joint discomfort. A pine needle bath is considered stimulating to the body, thus it's not good to soak at night before bed. 
 

Reference ~ ...and the needle trees, the evergreens, for masts and spars, and cabin and deck planking.
~ Raiders of Gor, page 141

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Nutmeg and Mace

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Description ~ A large tropical evergreen growing on average to 12 to 20 meters tall. The bark is a dark grey-green which produces a yellow juice which oxidizes to red. It is thickly branched with dense foliage with tough, dark green, oval leaves about 10 cm (4 in) long. It has small, light yellow bell-shaped flowers. The pale yellow fruit is a drupe, grooved like an apricot, splitting along the groove when ripe to expel the seed. Nutmeg is the seed kernel inside the fruit and mace is the lacy covering (aril) on the kernel. When the fruit is harvested the seed is removed, then the mace from the seed. The mace is flattened between boards and the seeds dried until they rattle, when they are shelled.
 

Area(s) Found ~ It prefers the rich volcanic soils and hot, humid conditions of the tropics.
 

Use(s) ~ Whole nuts are preferable to ground nutmeg, as flavor deteriorates quickly. Whole nuts will keep indefinitely and can be grated as required with a nutmeg grater. Nutmeg is poisonous and should be used in moderation, a pinch or two is safe. Store both ground and whole nutmeg away from sunlight in airtight containers. Used in small dosages nutmeg can reduce flatulence, aid digestion, improve the appetite and treat diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. Nutmeg's flavor and fragrance come from oil of myristica, containing myristicin, a poisonous narcotic. Myristicin can cause hallucinations, vomiting, epileptic symptoms and large dosages can cause death. These effects will not be induced, however, even with generous culinary usage.
 

Reference ~ ..a kort with melted cheese and nutmeg. 
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 48

 

Olives

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Description ~ The olive is an evergreen tree growing to 50 feet in height with a spread of about 30 feet. The graceful, billowing appearance and gnarled branching pattern of the olive tree can be rather attractive. The olive's feather-shaped leaves grow opposite one another. Their skin is rich in tannin, giving the mature leaf its gray-green appearance. The small, fragrant, cream-colored olive flowers are largely hidden by the evergreen leaves and grow on a long stem arising from the leaf axils. The olive produces two kinds of flowers: a perfect flower containing both male and female parts, and a staminate flower with stamens only. The olive fruit is a green drupe, becoming generally blackish-purple when fully ripe. A few varieties are green when ripe and some turn a shade of copper brown. The cultivars vary considerably in size, shape, oil-content and flavor. The shapes range from almost round to oval or elongated with pointed ends. Raw olives contain an alkaloid that makes them bitter and unpalatable. A few varieties are sweet enough to be eaten after sun drying. Olives are long-lived with a life expectancy of 500 years. The trees are also tenacious, easily sprouting back even when chopped to the ground. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Tor and Tyros. Olives are subtropical and do best with mild winters and long dry summers. 
 

Use(s) ~ Olive Oil, the base of many perfumes and medical ointments. Olive oil also lowers bad LDL cholesterol without lowering good HDL cholesterol. Helps keep bad cholesterol from being converted to a toxic or "oxidized" form. Thus, helps protect arteries from plaque. Reduces blood pressure, helps regulate blood sugar. Has potent antioxidant activity. Best oil for kitchen cooking and salads. 
 

Reference ~ The food, bosk steak and yellow bread, peas and Torian olives, and two golden-brown, starchy Suls, broken open and filled with melted bosk cheese. 
~ Assassin of Gor, p 168

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Onion

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Description ~ No specific Gorean description offered. Onion is an annual herb. All parts of the onion produce a strong odor when crushed. The leaves are long, linear and hollow. The fruit is a spherical capsule, generally white to yellow, comprised of layers with a thin outer skin.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Temperature climates. Most varieties of onions need to grow their tops in cool weather and to form their bulbs in warmer weather. Onions are very sensitive to daylight and so the amount of light controls the formation of bulbs. Onions are also voraciously hungry; they need manure and fertilizer prior to planting. Use(s) ~ An exceptionally strong antioxidant. Full of numerous anti-cancer agents, especially linked to inhibiting stomach cancer. Thins the blood, lowers cholesterol, raises good-type HDL cholesterol, wards off blood clots, fights asthma, chronic bronchitis, hay fever, diabetes, atherosclerosis and infections. Anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antiviral. Onions aggravate heartburn, may promote gas. It has been used as a herbal remedy for centuries in colds, coughs, bronchitis and influenza. Onions are well-known for their easily assimilable iron content, therefore beneficial in treating anemia. It is an effective remedy for cholera also. Onions are highly beneficial in the treatment of the disorders of urinary system. Onions are very effective in bleeding piles. Other uses of this herb are teeth disorders, ear disorders and tuberculosis.
 

Reference ~ At the oasis, will be grown a hybrid, brownish Sa-Tarna, adapted to the heat of the desert; most Sa-Tarna is yellow; and beans, berries, onions, tuber suls, various sorts of melons, a foliated leaf vegetable, called Katch, and various root vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, radishes, of the sphere and cylinder varieties, and korts, a large brownish-skinned, thick-skinned, sphere shaped vegetable, usually some six inches in width, the interior of which is yellow, fibrous, and heavily seeded.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 37

 

Palm Tree

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Description ~ Many varieties, however, the fan palm in particular is more than 20 feet high and spreads its leaves in the form of an open fan. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Schendi Jungles
 

Use(s) ~ Excellent source of pure water. Leaves can be used for fanning and shade in heat-related illnesses as well as for providing minimal shelter from the elements. 
 

Reference ~ There is an incredible variety of trees in the rain forest, how many I cannot conjecture. There are, however, more than fifteen hundred varieties and types of palm alone. Some of these palms have leaves which are twenty feet in length. One type of palm, the fan palm, more than twenty feet high, which spreads its leaves in the form of an opened fan, is an excellent source of pure water, as much as a liter of such water being found, almost as though cupped, at the base of each leaf's stem.
~ Explorers of Gor, page 310

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Peach

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Description ~ No specific Gorean description offered but for the fact that the Gorean peach is yellow. It is a beefy fruit, with a skin characterized by a covered coverage of hair, a very juicy meat that encloses one or two poisonous seeds inside a great bone. Peach tree leaves are simple, long (3 to 6 inches), fold distinctly inward, and curve downward. The leaves and buds of peach trees look similar to nectarines. The edges of the leaf are finely toothed.
 

Area(s) Found ~ The peach tree is relatively susceptible to damage by cold temperatures. Grows best in temperate climates.
 

Use(s) ~ All parts of the peach except the fruit pulp and skin are toxic, containing cyanide-producing substances that may be fatal. The main virtue of the peaches is its wealth in carotenes. It is a not very heavy food for the stomach and helps the liver to carry out the digestive processes by increasing the production of the bile so it favors the digestion of fats. Equally its juice, for its diuretic and acid properties, is ideal to avoid the kidney and/or gallbladder stones or help to its breakup, especially if mixed with honey. Also, peaches have lightly laxative properties so that it can be very effective to prevent constipation. Peaches have a wealth of minerals that helps maintain the body's water balance, strengthen the nervous system, prevent osteoarthritis and prevent states of anxiety or stress. Many of the properties of the peach are in the skin. Peaches have antivomitive properties , specially appropriate for vomits that take place during the pregnancy. The infusion of dry leaves is effective in the treatment of cough, especially of irritative character. Peach trees leaves , used externally, have beneficial properties for the skin, especially in cosmetics. Masks can be carried out with the pulp of this fruit and will cure dry and dull skins. The tender leaves of a peach tree can be used for the external care of the skin, eliminating spots, pimples and other imperfections 
 

Reference ~ Another device, common in Port Kar, is for the girl to kneel before the master and put her head down and lift her arms, offering him fruit, usually a larma or a yellow Gorean peach, ripe and fresh. 
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 27-28

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Peas

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Description ~ The pea is a vine that attaches to a support by tendrils. The vines can grow vertically to six feet tall, forming a dense mat of foliage. There are also low or bush varieties of peas which form a mound on the ground. Peas have pinnately compound leaves with some of the leaflets modified into tendrils. Tendrils aid in the support of the plant. The flower of the pea plant has five petals on this irregular flower; 1 large broad upper "banner" petal, 2 "wing" petals on either side, and 2 lower "keel" petals that are joined to form a canoe shape. Peas grow in a long and slightly curved green pod. Pea seeds are round and light green, and may have a smooth or wrinkled skin. They are generally about the size of a pencil eraser and are quite tender. The pea pods form at the leaf axils of the plant. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Temperate to tropic zones.
 

Use(s) ~ High in protein, magnesium, fat, calcium, iron and vitamin B content. Young green peas in pods cooked in water with a pinch of salt is an excellent accompaniment to alcohol. Because of the high starch content of green peas, eating green peas paste can help heal diarrhea and even dysentery by drying stool up and enhancing intestinal absorption.
 

Reference ~ I had tarsk meat and yellow bread with honey, Gorean peas, and a tankard of diluted Ka-la-na, warm water mixed with wine.
~ Assassin of Gor, page 87

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(Black) Pepper

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Description ~ No specific Gorean description offered. Common black pepper, ground into powdery state. The spice is made from the berries of a perennial, climbing vine which may reach heights of 10 meters by means of its aerial roots. It is a branching vine with a smooth, woody, articulate stem swollen at the joints. Its broad, shiny green, pointed , petiolate leaves are alternately arranged. The sessile, white, small flowers are borne in dense, slender spikes of about 50 blossoms each. The berry-like fruits, or peppercorns, are tiny and round. They become yellowish red at maturity and bear a single seed. The odor is penetrating and aromatic; the taste is hot, biting and very pungent.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Tropics
 

Use(s) ~ Black pepper has long been recognized as a stimulant to appetite as well as an aid in the relief of nausea. Black pepper is often added to tea as a stimulant and peppercorns are sucked to soothe a sore throat. Key Benefits of black pepper include aiding in digestion, improving the appetite and preventing disease since it is anti-bacterial.
 

Reference ~ Some of the peppers and spices, relished even by the children of the Tahari districts, were sufficient to convince an average good fellow of Thentis or Ar that the roof of the mouth and his tongue were being torn out of his head.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 46

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Peppermint

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Description ~ Peppermint plants grow to about two feet tall with four-sided stems and clusters of small reddish-violet flowers. The leaves are dark green/purplish, smooth or slightly hairy and with a strong, characteristic aroma. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Temperate zones. 
 

Use(s) ~ Peppermint, a popular flavoring for gum, toothpaste, and tea, also serves as a calming agent to soothe an upset stomach or to aid in digestion. Because it has a calming and numbing effect, it has been used to treat headaches, skin irritations, anxiety associated with depression, nausea, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, and flatulence. It is also widely used to treat symptoms of the common cold. Peppermint oil may help the body break down gallstones. Peppermint oil has exhibited antiviral properties against a number of infectious agents, including herpes. Peppermint, when applied topically, has a soothing and cooling effect on skin irritations caused by hives, poison ivy, or poison oak. Research has shown that peppermint applied to the forehead and temples is favorable in its ability to reduce headache symptoms. Peppermint and its main active agent, menthol, are effective decongestants. Because menthol thins mucus, it is also a good expectorant, meaning that it helps loosen and breaks up coughs with phlegm. It is soothing and calming for sore throats and dry coughs as well. 
 

Reference ~ On the tray too, was the metal vessel which contained black wine, steaming and bitter from far Thentis, famed for its tarn flocks, the small yellow-enameled cups from which we had drunk the black wine, its spoons and sugars, a tiny bowl of mint sticks, and the softened, dampened cloths on which we had wiped our fingers.
~ Explorers of Gor, page 10

 

Plum

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Description ~ No specific Gorean description offered. Plum trees can grow 6 to 12 feet in height. Plum leaves are simple, oval to oblong and come to a point at the end with scalloped edges. Plums have a plump, round shape with a depression at the top where the stem attached. Plum skin is very smooth and shiny, and can be red, purple, or yellow.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Plums are the most taxonomically diverse of the stone fruits, and are adapted to a broad range of climatic and soil factors. 
 

Use(s) ~ Like all stone fruits, plum leaves, flowers, and especially seeds and bark contain toxic compounds which generate cyanide, which is of course toxic or lethal in large doses. However, in plant tissues, cyanide is low enough in concentration to be considered therapeutic, particularly for cancer (tumor) treatment. Prunes and prune juice are commonly used as natural laxatives. Phloretin is an antibiotic-like compound found in bark and root extracts; in concentrated form, phloretin can kill certain bacteria.
 

Reference ~ I was jostled to one side by two men in djellabas. My ankle stung. I had nearly stepped into a basket of plums.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 45

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Pomegranate

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Description ~ A small tree, not more than 15 feet high, with pale, brownish bark. The buds and young shoots are red; the leaves opposite, taper with a smooth edge and are thick, glossy and almost evergreen. The flowers are large and solitary, the crimson petals alternating with the lobes of the calyx. The fruit is the size of an orange, having a thick, reddish-yellow rind, an acid pulp, and large quantities of seeds. The dried root bark is found in quills 3 to 4 inches long. It is yellowish-grey and wrinkled outside, the inner bark being smooth and yellow. It has a short fracture, little odor and a slightly astringent taste. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Oasis of Red Rock
 

Use(s) ~ All parts of the tree, the roots, the reddish brown bark, leaves, flowers, rind and seeds, have featured in medicine. The sweet varieties of the fruit are considered a good laxative, while those which are intermediate between sweet and sour are regarded as valuable in the stomach inflammations and heart pain. The juice from the fresh fruit is an excellent cooling beverage for alleviating thirst in cases of fevers and sickness. It acts on the liver, heart and kidneys and tones up their functions. It increases the body's resistance against infections, particularly tuberculosis. The chief value of the pomegranate is its astringent properties which cause cells to shrink-and it is a valuable food medicine for diarrhea and dysentery. The bark, both of the root and the stems of pomegranate tree, is well known for its ability to destroy parasitic worms. A sherbet of the ripe fruit is beneficial in the treatment of typhus, gastric and asthmatic fevers. The root bark is also given to prevent fevers. The skin of the pomegranate fruit is considered highly beneficial in the treatment of anal itching. The skin of the fruit should be roasted till it is brittle and black. It is then powdered and with a little olive oil and applied over the anus. A tablespoonful of seeds, ground into a fine paste can be given along with a cupful of soup to dissolve gravel in kidneys and bladder. Powder of the dry rind mixed with pepper and common salt is applied as a very good tooth paste or powder. Its regular application strengthens the gum, stops bleeding, prevents pyorrhea , cleans the teeth and preserve them for a long time.
 

Reference ~ "Pomegranate orchards lie at the east of the oasis," I said. "Gardens lie inward. There is even a pond, between two of the groves of date palms."
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 174

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Radish

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Description ~ Radish plants are grown for their crisp, peppery-tasting roots. Radishes can look similar to beets, but radishes are usually smaller, smoother, and brighter in color. Radishes are typically red and round, but other colorful cultivars include white, pink, or purple. The shape may also vary from round to oblong. Radishes are very fast-growing plants and can be ready for harvest in less than a month. Radish leaves are simple and deeply lobed, often down to the midrib.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Temperate to Tropic zones.
 

Use(s) ~ Radish is relishing, an appetizer, eliminates the excessive humor of phlegm, bile and wind in the body, helps in indigestion and refines the voice. The leaves of radish causes urination and eliminates "stones" and plethora. Its flowers eliminate excessive humors of phlegm and bile in the body. The juice extracted from radish mixed with lemon juice when taken, cures stomachache due to flatulation. If tender radish is mixed with sugar or the juice of its leaves mixed with sugar cures acidity. Saltpeter mixed in the juice of radish cures "stones". If the powdered seed of radish is applied on the affected part of the back due to wind and humor, pain is cured. Eating radish and sesame cures swelling. Eating radish on empty stomach causes inflammation in the chest and it stimulates the bile humor. Use of radish during the winter season too is not beneficial.
 

Reference ~ A great amount of farming, or perhaps one should speak of gardening, is done at the oasis, but little of this is exported. At the oasis, will be grown a hybrid, brownish Sa-Tarna, adapted to the heat of the desert; most Sa-Tarna is yellow; and beans, berries, onion tuber suls, various sorts of melons, a foliated leaf vegetable, called Katch, and various root vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, radishes, of the sphere and cylinder varieties, and korts, a large brownish-skinned, thick-skinned, sphere shaped vegetable, usually some six inches in width, the interior of which is yellow, fibrous, and heavily seeded.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 37

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Raisins

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Description ~ Dried, sweet grapes.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Temperate to Sub-Tropics.
 

Use(s) ~ Raisins are thus an excellent food in all cases of debility and wasting diseases. They are also valuable during convalescence. The raisins with their excess of alkalinity, are helpful in maintaining the acid balance of the body. The free use of raisins is valuable in combating chronic acidosis which generally results from the excessive consumption of meat and cereals. Raisins are highly beneficial in the treatment of constipation. They should be soaked in a glassful of drinking water for 24 to 48 hours. This would swell them to the original size of the grapes. They should be eaten early in the morning, after discarding the stones. The water in which raisins are soaked should also be drunk. If this is taken every morning, will bring excellent results in case of chronic constipation. Raisins can be routinely given even to little infants as an extract in water to help regular bowel action. Six to ten raisins or more, depending on the child's age, can be soaked in boiling water and set aside for a while. When cool, the raisins should be thoroughly crushed to extract their juice into the water. For small children, the liquid could be strained and given so that the skin of the raisins does not upset the stomach. As a rich source of easily assimilable iron, raisins enrich blood. They are thus useful in anemia. Raisins are a good food for those who wish to gain weight. An extract from raisins acts like a medicine in febrile cases i.e. relating to fever. This extract is prepared by soaking raisins in the water and then crushing them in the same water. They are then strained and skin is discarded. The raisin water thus prepared becomes a tonic. A little lime juice added to the extract will enhance its taste and usefulness.
 

Reference ~ ...vulo stew with raisins, nuts, onions, and honey.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 45

 

Rep

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Description ~ Gor's version of cotton. The rep plant is a small, reddish, woody bush that produces seed pods where the fibrous matter is found.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Mostly below Ar and above the equator.
 

Use(s) ~ Bandages, cloths, etc.
 

Reference ~ ...Rep is a whitish fibrous matter found in the seed pods of a small, reddish, woody bush, commercially grown in several areas, but particularly below Ar and above the equator; the cheap rep-cloth is woven in mills, commonly, in various cities; it takes dye well and, being cheap and strong, is popular, particularly among the lower castes....
~ Raiders of Gor, page10-11

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Salt

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Description ~ Salt on Gor, comes in various colors among which white, yellow and red are mentioned. A mineral that is mined and crushed into small crystals. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ White salt from the mines of Klima; red salt of Kasra and from the Tahari desert in general, Torvaldslanders gather salt from the sea.
 

Use(s) ~ Salt activates the flavors of food thereby enhancing the taste. It is also a rejuvenator while aiding digestion and improving eyesight. Rock (or sea) salt in particular, is a cure for flatulence and heartburn, aids digestion, improves eyes sight, and helps to lower high blood pressure. Salt easily dissolves in water, thus making it beneficial for sterilization. Desert dwellers tend to rely on salt to keep their bodies from loosing too much water, as salt binds water molecules in the body. Too much salt, however is dangerous.
 

Reference ~ ...Whereas salt may be obtained from sea water and by burning seaweed, as is sometimes done in Torvaldsland, and there are various districts on Gor where salt, solid or in solution, may be obtained, by far the most extensive and richest of known Gor's salt deposits are to be found concentrated in the Tahari. Tahari salt accounts, in its varieties, I would suspect, for some twenty percent of the salt and salt-related products, such as medicines and antiseptics, preservatives, cleansers, bleaches, bottle glass, which contains soda ash, taken from salt, and tanning chemicals, used on known Gor. Salt is a trading commodity par excellence. There are areas on Gor where salt serves as a currency, being weighed and exchanged much as precious metals. The major protection and control of the Tahari salt, of course, lies in its remoteness, the salt districts, of which there are several, being scattered and isolated in the midst of the dune country, in the long caravan journeys required, and the difficulty or impossibility of obtaining it without knowing the trails, the ways of the desert…
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 208

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Sip Root

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Description ~ No Gorean description given. Appears similar to Earthen "Creeping Mahonia," a low-growing, stoloniferous, evergreen shrub or shrublet which typically grows to 1' tall and spreads by underground stems to form an attractive ground cover. Features holly-like, odd-pinnate, compound leaves with oval, spiny-toothed, leathery, bluish-green leaflets (usually 3-7). Foliage turns purplish in winter. Deep yellow flowers appear in 1-3" small bundles in spring and are followed by small clusters of grape-like, dark bluish-purple berries (1/4" diameter) which mature in late summer. Berries are very sour but edible and can be used in jellies. Yellow stem wood was used by Native Americans to produce yellow dyes and a bitter tonic. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Arid to temperate climates.
 

Use(s) ~ Highly effective contraceptive.
 

Reference ~ A bitter root, which can either be made into a liquid contraceptive, or chewed, for the same result. The effect of the sip root, in most women is effective for three or four months. In the concentrated state, as in slave wine, developed by the caste of Physicians, the effect is almost indefinite, usually requiring a releaser for it remission, usually administered, to a slave, in what is called the breeding wine, or the second wine.
~ Blood Brothers of Gor, page 319

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Telekint

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Description ~ No Gorean description given. Likely similar to the Earth plant Rue, a small (60 cm tall) evergreen shrub that is shaped like a mound. The silver-green leaves have a strong smell. The tiny yellow flowers are in loose clusters above the leaves.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Telekint thrives in poor sandy soils, and hot, dry sites with full sun.
 

Use(s) ~ Roots mashed and mixed with water provide a red dye. It has also been used as a medicine for earaches, an insect repellant, and an herb for flavoring foods. Some cosmetics and perfumes also contain telekint. Some people are allergic to telekint and get a skin rash from handling the plant. Especially on hot days, just brushing against telekint can cause water blisters and blotchy skin, much like poison ivy. For some people, ingestion causes increased photosensitivity and can lead to severe sunburn. Ingesting large amounts can cause violent stomach pain, vomiting, and convulsions. Pregnant women should never ingest telekint. 
 

Reference~ The driver threw back the hood of his burnoose, and pulled down the veil about his face. Beneath the burnoose he wore a skullcap. The rep-cloth veil was red; it had been soaked in a primitive dye, mixed from water and the mashed roots of the telekint; when he perspired, it had run; his face was stained....
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 83

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Teslik

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Description ~ No Gorean description given. Appears similiar to Earthen "Maca Root", a turnip-looking herb with short green tops made of frilly leaves that low lie to the ground. The off-white, self-fertile flowers are borne on a central strand, and are followed by 4-5 mm siliculate fruits, each containing two small (2-2.5 mm) reddish-gray ovoid seeds. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Grows at high altitudes in low temperatures and harsh conditions.
 

Use(s) ~ Active ingredient in breeding wine; reverses effects of sip root contraceptive.
 

Reference ~ The active ingredient in the breeding wine, or the "second wine," is a derivative of teslik.
~ Blood Brothers of Gor, page 320

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Turnip

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Description ~ The fast-growing turnip plants grow as a cluster of greens with the root growing beneath the soil. Turnips have rough, hairy leaves. Their leaf margins are coarsely toothed and deeply lobed. The leaves are edible and often used in a spring green salad mixture. Turnips are grown mainly for their enlarged root, although some people also enjoy eating the greens. The root usually has a flattened globe shape and is two-toned, with purple on the top and white on the bottom. Some cultivars can be round or cylindrical. 
 

Area(s) Found ~ Temperate to tropic zones. 
 

Use(s) ~ The powdered seed is said to be a folk remedy for cancer. The root when boiled with lard is used for breast tumors. The stems and leaves are said to be a remedy for cancer, while a salve derived from the flowers is said to help skin cancer.
 

Reference ~ A great amount of farming, or perhaps one should speak of gardening, is done at the oasis, but little of this is exported. At the oasis, will be grown a hybrid, brownish Sa-Tarna, adapted to the heat of the desert; most Sa-Tarna is yellow; and beans, berries, onion tuber suls, various sorts of melons, a foliated leaf vegetable, called Katch, and various root vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, radishes, of the sphere and cylinder varieties, and korts, a large brownish-skinned, thick-skinned, sphere shaped vegetable, usually some six inches in width, the interior of which is yellow, fibrous, and heavily seeded.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, page 37

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Verminium

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Description ~ A kind of bluish wildflower.
 

Area(s) Found ~ Commonly found on the lower slopes of the Thentis range although said to be common to both the Northern and the Southern hemispheres of Gor. A purplish variety of it is found on the edge of the Tahari, it is called the Desert Veminium. 
 

Use(s) ~ Made into an oil used to perfume water that is used to rinse the eating hand before and after the evening meal. Common ingredient in perfumes, oils and baths.
 

Reference ~ The petals of veminium, the "Desert Veminium," purplish, as opposed to the "Thentis Veminium," bluish, which flower grows at the edge of the Tahari, gathered in a shallow baskets and carried to a still, are boiled in water. The vapor which boils off is condensed into oil. This oil is used to perfume water. This water is not drunk but is used in middle and upper-class homes to rinse the eating hand, before and after the evening meal.
~ Tribesmen of Gor, 2:50-51

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**Information gathered from various sources and websites.