Gar cane

A domesticated species of swamp reed, gar canes begin as a rigid and stumpy green sedge that grows quickly in the wake of seasonal flooding to establish a dense stand of foliage. Once sufficiently emplaced, it grows tall red-brown stalks that emerge several feet out of its hedge-like growth that soon erupt into feathery, pollen-coated cattails enjoyed by birds as nesting material, who cross-pollinate various gar cane plants while collecting them.

Whether it has been pollinated or not, the plant generates as much of its sugary sweet sap as possible with the available light, and stores it within the rigid and fibrous internal folds of the gar cane. Over time, this sap permeates the cane, giving it the pleasant luster for which it is known. Sufficiently concentrated sap will begin forming fine crystallized grains of sugar throughout the pulp.

Once mature, it is here that Elgan farmers would cut and collect the gar canes for processing, first into a molasses-like syrup and then into raw sugar. Left to nature however, a pollinated cane will begin to wither the plant, weakening its connection to the plant so that it can be plucked out of its protective stand of leaves by the next flood season and deposited elsewhere to grow a new plant. This does not kill the original plant, which will recover after a season or two to begin growing a new cane.

Bundles of gar canes are a traditional holiday treat for the Elgan of Krell - they are chewed to slowly release the malted natural sugars before being discarded.