Polycapsa Neoforensis

Polycapsa neoforensis, or the three-budded hillflower, is a flowering plant native to the temperate areas found around the Olympian mountains. Like most Minorian plants, it grows all year round on the seasonless planet, and constantly covers the hillscapes in shades of yellow and blue. Its flowering cycle is asynchronous and rapid: an average specimen blooms every five Minorian days, with all stages of the cycle being featured simultaneously in the population of any given area. This complicates the harvesting of the plant, which requires careful manual selection and handling.

Following reports of dizziness in people working or living in areas densely populated by the species, Polycapsa was identified in 1885 as containing a relatively powerful neuroactive substance. Starting out as an ingredient in local herbal tea, it was only a matter of time until the buds attracted the attention of the many young companies trying to establish niche markets on the planet. The exploitation started erratically, with the chemical being branded in a variety of ways over the course of the first few months. It became falsely known as a stimulant, an aphrodisiac, a laxative, and a digestive aid, among many other things. In addition, the highly diluted dosages used by those companies led to rumors on the molecule’s ineffectiveness. For a short time it was also used in the making of cigarettes, until the foul smell resulting from smoking the flower was deemed unsolvable. Ultimately, the failure of too eager entrepreneurs paved the way to the plant’s commercial success in the pharmaceutical industry. In particular, that of Astrian Pharmaceuticals, a drug manufacturer which marketed it as a mood stabilizer under the generic name Modileden.

Despite its occasional moniker of “Minor’s coffee”, the plant’s effects are indeed closer to those of a relaxer. The resemblance it bears with coffee is rather its traditional use and mild addictiveness as a drink. In fact, it is common for Minorians to start the day, or take breaks with a cup of “blue tea” rather than coffee, which is said to have contributed to the cliché about Minorian Americans being a quiet and dull people.

Due to the scarcity of regulations and poor coordination in regulatory bodies at the time of discovery, the scientific description of the Modileden molecule was delayed, and it was exploited and commercialized long before its effects on the human body were fully understood. More recently, related apprehensions have been brought up concerning the increasing use of Modileden as self-medication for aether psychosis and anxiety, which often involves the intravenous injection of higher concentrations with more serious side effects. The field of psychology still struggles to get a grasp on mental health in the extraterrestrial colonies, and the people will try anything to find some respite.

The exploitation of the three-budded hillflower is now an important factor of the Minorian economy, with exports towards Earth, both as a drug and as an exotic ingredient for herbal tea, still increasing year over year.