Sable Heart

A close relative of bleeding hearts and a member of the Papaveracaea family, sable heart is of note for several reasons. First off, it's name is a misnomer as the flowers produced are a shade of violet. Of greater import, the plant is incredibly rare, only growing in soil that has anomalous concentration of iria crystal sand. How it reproduces, let alone has such a broad geographic distribution, remains a mystery. It's inflorescences is incomplete and pollinate does not bear viable seeds. Plants have been observed sprouting roots from the stem and breaking apart but attempts to recreate this behavior in captivity have failed. No known attempt at keeping a sable heart plant in captivity has succeeded.

The sable heart is feared around the world for the poison present in its flowers. When dried, ground, and simmered in alcohol, a concentrated form of this poison may be prepared. Very low doses, such as that found in a single flower, cause drowsiness, hallucinations, ataxia, and dysphoria. Effects may last days to weeks. Once a threshold is passed, the affected person loses consciousness. Individuals in this state remain asleep until they expire by dehydration, starvation, or bedsores. Some individuals have woken up from the toxin. Awakenings are idiosyncratic and seem unrelated to any medical care administrated. Those who have survived the toxin report experiencing a long dream that was tailored into a personal nightmare.

As such, the perception is that no one with good intentions seeks out or possesses Sable Heart.