Guide to Xenobotany

Tools

• Nutrients - Feeds your plants.
• Bucket - Used to pour water (or other chemicals) into trays.
• Pest spray - Removes pests from hydroponics trays.
• Mini-hoe - Removes weeds from hydroponics trays.
• Hatchet - Used to chop wood.
• Plant Analyzer - Shows a readout of useful information concerning the plant.
• Wire cutters or Scalpel - Used to take plant samples.
• Flora data disk - Stores a single gene from a specific plant variety.

Plant Chart

Traits:

• Yi = Yield. Determines how many products per harvest.
• Ma = Maturation time. A lower number means faster maturation time.
• Pr = Produce time. A lower number means faster product growth.
• Po = Potency. Determines the amount of reagents, and strength of special effects.

Name	Seed	Icon	Yi	Ma	Pr	Po	Reagents	Temp	Light	Other	Source	Mutations
Affelerin			6	8	6	20	2u Nutriment 10u Affelerin Nectar	293K	6	–	Seed Storage	–
Aghrassh			4	3	5	10	10u Nutriment	293K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Algae			4	3	5	10	2u Nutriment 4u Bromide	293K	6	Emits Methyl Bromide gas. Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Almond			6	6	6	10	5u Almond Meal	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage
Ambrosia Deus			6	6	6	5	1u Nutriment 1u Bicaridine 1u Synaptizine 1u Hyperzine 1u Hextro-mycosalinate	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Mutate Ambrosia Vulgaris	–
Ambrosia Vulgaris			6	6	6	5	1u Nutriment 1u Bicaridine 1u Kelotane 1u Toxin 1u Hextro-mycosalinate	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	Ambrosia Deus
Apple			5	6	6	10	2u Nutriment 11u Apple Juice	293K	4	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	Poison Apple, Golden Apple
Bamboo			5	5	1	1	6u Bamboo Pulp	298K	6	Can be chopped into bamboo planks with a hatchet.	Seed Storage	–
Banana			3	6	6	1	10u Banana Juice 2u Potassium	298K	7	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Berry			2	5	5	10	2u Nutriment 11u Berry Juice	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage Mutate Blueberry or Iridast	Glowberry, Poison Berry, Blueberry
Blood Tomato			3	8	6	10	2u Nutriment 3u Blood	293K	6	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Mutate Tomato	Killer Tomato
Blue Tomato			2	8	6	10	1u Nutriment 3u Cryoxadone	293K	6	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Mutate Tomato	Bluespace Tomato
Blueberry			2	5	5	10	2u Nutriment 11u Berry Juice	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage Mutate Berry or Iridast	Glowberry, Poison Berry, Berry
Bluespace Tomato			2	8	6	10	1u Nutriment 12u Singulo	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Bio-luminescent. Juicy. Teleports user/target when thrown.	Mutate Blue Tomato
Breather			4	3	5	10	2u Nutriment 4u Ammonia	293K	6	Emits Nitrogen gas. Only available to Vox.	Vox Scavenger Ship	–
Cabbage			4	3	5	10	2u Nutriment	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Cacao			2	5	5	10	2u Nutriment 6u Coco Powder	298K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Carrot			5	10	1	10	1u Nutriment 10u Carrot Juice 5u Imidazoline	293K	5	–	Seed Storage	–
Chanterelle			5	7	1	1	1u Nutriment	293K	5	–	Seed Storage	Fly Amanita, Plump Helmet, Reishi
Cherry			3	5	5	10	1u Nutriment 1u Sugar 10u Cherry Jelly	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage	–
Chili			4	5	5	20	1u Nutriment 7u Capsaicin	298K	7	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	Chilly Pepper
Chilly Pepper			4	4	4	20	1u Nutriment 7u Frost Oil	298K	7	Multiple harvests.	Mutate Chili	–
Cinnamon			5	7	5	10	10u Cinnamon	293K	7	–	Seed Storage	–
Coconut			4	6	6	15	1u Nutriment 10u Coconut Water	293K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Corn			3	8	6	20	3u Nutriment 3u Corn Oil	298K	6	–	Seed Storage	–
Coffee			3	4	4	4	10u Coffee Powder	293K	7	–	Seed Storage	–
Death Berry			3	5	5	10	1u Nutriment 19u Toxin 11u Lexorin	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Mutate Poison Berry	–
Death Nettle			2	8	6	10	1u Nutriment 10u Polytrinic Acid	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Strong stinging spines.	Mutate Nettle	–
Destroying Angel			2	12	5	35	1u Nutriment 24u Amatoxin 2u Psilocybin	288K	5	–	Mutate Fly Amanita	–
Diona			1	5	10	30	–	293K	5	Cannot alter or isolate genes.	Seed Storage	–
Eggplant			2	6	6	20	3u Nutriment	298K	7	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Fine Tobacco			4	6	6	1	10u Fine Tobacco	299K	7	–	Mutate Tobacco.	–
Fly Amanita			4	10	5	10	1u Nutriment 6u Amatoxin 1u Psilocybin	288K	5	–	Seed Storage Mutate Chanterelle	Destroying Angel, Plastellium
Garlic			5	10	1	12	1u Nutriment 4u Garlic Juice	293K	5	–	Seed Storage	–
Glowberry			2	5	5	10	2u Nutriment 5u Uranium	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Bio-luminescent. Juicy.	Mutate Berry, Blueberry, or Iridast	–
Glowshroom			3	15	1	30	2u Radium	288K	5	Bio-luminescent.	Seed Storage Mutate Reishi	–
Golden Apple			3	10	10	10	2u Nutriment 3u Gold	293K	4	Multiple harvests.	Mutate Apple	–
Grape			4	3	5	10	2u Nutriment 3u Sugar 11u Grape Juice	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage Mutate Green Grape or White Grape	Green Grape
Grass			5	2	5	1	1u Nutriment	293K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Green Grape			4	3	5	10	2u Nutriment 11u Green Grape Juice 5u Kelotane	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage Mutate Grape or White Grape	Grape, White Grape
Gukhe			4	3	5	10	2u Nutriment 3u Sugar 10u Capsaicin	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Gummen Beans			3	4	4	10	10u Nutriment	293K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Harebell			2	7	1	1	1u Nutriment	293K	5	–	Seed Storage	–
Hrukhza			5	6	6	1	5u Nutriment 10u Hrukhza Extract	299K	7	–	Seed Storage	–
Iridast			2	5	5	10	2u Nutriment 10u Iridast Berry Juice 3u Psilocybin	293K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	Berry, Glowberry, Poison Berry, Blueberry
Killer Tomato			2	8	6	10	–	293K	6	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Mutate Blood Tomato	–
Kudzu			4	6	6	10	1u Nutriment 1u Dylovene	293K	5	Dangerous vine.	Seed Storage	–
Lavender			5	7	5	1	1u Nutriment 1u Bicaridine	293K	7	–	Seed Storage	–
Lemon			4	6	6	15	1u Nutriment 10u Lemon Juice	293K	6	Multiple harvests. Outputs power. Juicy.	Seed Storage	–
Liberty Cap			4	10	1	15	1u Nutriment 8u Soporific 1u Hextro-mycosalinate	288K	5	–	Seed Storage Mutate Reishi	–
Lime			4	6	6	15	1u Nutriment 10u Lime Juice	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage	–
Lettuce			4	5	2	10	1u Nutriment 2u Lettuce Juice	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Low-Grade Tobacco			5	6	6	1	10u Terrible Tobacco	299K	7	–	Mutate Tobacco.	–
Melon			3	6	6	1	1u Nutriment 10u Melon Juice	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage	–
Messa's Tear			4	3	5	10	2u Honey 5u Kelotane	283K	5	–	Seed Storage	–
Nettle			4	6	6	10	1u Nutriment 10u Sulphuric Acid	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Stinging spines.	Seed Storage	Death Nettle
O'krri Mushroom			5	7	1	1	10u Nutriment 3u Sugar 3u Psilocybin	288K	4	–	Seed Storage	–
Olives			4	3	5	10	5u Nutriment 10u Olive Oil	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Onion			4	10	1	10	2u Nutriment 4u Onion Juice	293K	5	–	Seed Storage	–
Orange			4	6	6	15	1u Nutriment 10u Orange Juice	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage	–
Peanut			6	6	6	10	5u Ground Peanuts	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Pear			5	6	6	10	5u Nutriment 10u Pear Juice	293K	4	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage	–
Peppercorn			3	4	4	5	10u Pepper	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Pineapple			2	5	5	10	1u Nutriment 10u Pineapple Juice 5u Universal Enzyme	293K	7	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Plastellium			6	5	6	20	3u Plasticide	288K	5	–	Seed Storage Mutate Fly Amanita	–
Plump Helmet			2	8	1	2	2u Nutriment	288K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage Mutate Chanterelle	Towercap, Walking Mushroom
Poison Apple			5	6	6	10	3u Cyanide	293K	4	Multiple harvests.	Mutate Apple	–
Poison Berry			2	5	5	10	1u Nutriment 5u Toxin 12u Poison Berry Juice	293K	5	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Mutate Berry, Blueberry, or Iridast	Death Berry
Poppy			6	8	6	20	2u Nutriment 3u Tramadol	293K	6	–	Seed Storage	–
Potato			4	10	1	10	2u Nutriment 4u Potato Juice	293K	5	Can provide power.	Seed Storage	–
Pumpkin			6	8	6	10	2u Nutriment	293K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Qokk'Loa			4	3	5	10	3u Sugar 5u Hextro-mycosalinate 10u Qokk'Loa Extract	285K	5	Multiple harvests. Extremely lethal to humans.	Seed Storage	–
Reishi			4	10	5	15	1u Nutriment 6u Psilocybin	288K	5	–	Seed Storage Mutate Chanterelle	Liberty Cap,Glowshroom
Rice			4	6	1	5	1u Nutriment 10u Rice	293K	5	–	Seed Storage	–
Resin Plant			5	5	1	1	7u Resin Pulp	293K	6	Multiple harvests. Can be chopped into bioresin slabs with a hatchet. Only available to Vox.	Vox Scavenger Ship	–
S'randar's Hand			4	3	5	10	1u Bicaridine	283K	5	–	Seed Storage	–
Soybean			3	4	4	5	1u Nutriment 10u Soy Milk	293K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Succulent Tobacco			3	6	6	1	10u Nicotine	299K	7	Juicy.	Mutate Tobacco.	–
Sugarcane			4	3	6	10	6u Sugar	298K	5	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage	–
Sunflower			2	6	1	1	1u Nutriment	293K	7	–	Seed Storage	–
Tobacco			5	6	6	1	10u Tobacco	299K	7	–	Seed Storage	Low-Grade Tobacco, Fine Tobacco, Succulent Tobacco
Tomato			2	8	6	10	2u Nutriment 11u Tomato Juice	293K	6	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage	Blood Tomato, Blue Tomato
Towercap			5	15	1	1	11u Wood Pulp	288K	5	Can be chopped into wood planks with a hatchet.	Seed Storage Mutate Plump Helm	–
Vanilla			3	5	5	10	2u Nutriment 5u Vanilla Syrup	293K	7	–	Seed Storage	–
Walking Mushroom			1	5	1	2	–	288K	5	Multiple harvests.	Mutate Plump Helmet.	–
Watermelon			3	6	6	1	1u Nutriment 10u Watermelon Juice	298K	6	Multiple harvests. Juicy.	Seed Storage	–
Wheat			4	6	1	5	1u Nutriment 15u Flour	293K	6	–	Seed Storage	–
White-beet			6	6	6	10	1u Nutriment 3u Sugar	293K	5	–	Seed Storage	–
White Grape			4	3	5	10	2u Nutriment 3u Sugar 11u White Grape Juice	293K	6	Multiple harvests.	Seed Storage Mutate Grape or Green Grape	Grape, Green Grape
Ximi'koa			5	7	5	1	2u Nutriment 5u Sugar	293K	7	–	Seed Storage	–

Genetics

Plants have twelve genes, labelled and ordered at random each round. Each gene represents a set of traits from the plant. These include:

• Hardiness: Endurance. Tolerance to toxins, pests, and/or weeds.
• Vigour: How long the plant takes to mature and produce fruit. How much fruit it produces. Whether it can spread out of its tray(vine).
• Biochemistry: Which reagents the fruit contains; which gases the plant generates.
• Fruit: Whether the fruit is juicy and will splatter when thrown; whether the plant has stinging spines and will inject its reagents into anyone coming in contact with it.
• Diet: Whether the plant consumes gases in its environment; whether the plant is carnivorous (eats pests) or eats tray weeds; how much water and fertilizer it consumes.
• Metabolism: Whether the plant requires water or fertilizer. Whether it alters the ambient temperature.
• Environment: Plant's preferred temperature and light levels, and how much tolerance it has for changes in light level.
• Atmosphere: The plant's tolerance for changes in temperature and pressure away from its preferred levels.
• Output: Whether the plant produces electrical power or bioluminescent light.
• Appearance: The "shape" of the plant. Also affects whether it can be harvested only once or multiple times.
• Pigment: The color of the plant and its fruit; the color of any bioluminescence.
• Special: The ability to teleport the thrower or target when thrown.

A gene label from any given plant represents the same trait across all plants; in other words, if gene F6 represents "fruit" for tomatoes, it will also represent "fruit" for ambrosia.

Lysis-isolation Centrifuge

This piece of machinery accepts a seed packet or cutting as well as a data disk. When used to scan a seed, it destroys the seed in order to reclaim its genetic information, which can be loaded onto a data disk a certain number of times before the stored genome degrades completely.

Bioballistic Delivery System

When loaded with a data disk and a seed, this machine is used to apply the gene stored on the data disk to the loaded packet. It will overwrite the corresponding gene on the target packet. Seeds can only be overwritten a certain number of times before they degrade completely and can no longer be modified.

How to Modify Seeds

1. Identify your genes.
2. Pick two plants whose genes are very different from each other. Since all the plants from the seed vendors have the same Resistance, Environment, and Consumption genes, it helps if one of the plants is an exotic seed that you've planted and harvested more seed packets from, either through taking cuttings or by extracting seeds from fruit. If you don't have exotic seeds, you can mutate an existing species to have genes that are different.
3. Have four or five identical seed packets from each species.
4. Using the lysis-isolation centrifuge, add a seed packet from Species 1. Analyze the genome (this will destroy the seed packet!). Then add a flora data disk to the centrifuge and copy one of the genes onto the disk. Repeat this until you have a disk for each of the twelve genes. During this step, the genetic information in the lysis-isolation centrifuge will eventually be exhausted; you'll need to add and analyze another Species 1 seed packet to continue.
5. Using your plant analyzer, analyze Species 2 and make a note of its characteristics.
6. Put a seed packet from Species 2 into the bioballistic delivery system. Add one of your flora data disks with genes from Species 1, and apply the modification.
7. Eject the seed packet and analyze it again with the plant analyzer. Note which gene has changed. For example, if the plant from Species 2 now has a trait from Species 1, you know that's the trait you have transferred, and that that's the gene on the disk.
8. Label your disk with the gene, or make a note of which gene is which.
9. Repeat this with the other five disks, each time making a note of which gene is which. If the modified plant doesn't change at all, it's likely that you've transferred a gene that is identical in Species 1 and Species 2, or a gene that is not active in Species 1. Eventually, modifying any given seed packet will no longer be viable; the machine will tell you when that happens. You'll have to switch to a new seed packet.
10. Now that you have your genes identified, think about which genes you want to transfer from which plant to which. Typically, with exotic seeds, you'll want to make them viable for growing on the station.
11. Vigor is a good gene to transfer to plants that grow or produce fruit slowly. Choose a plant which produces fruit quickly or in large quantities and transfer the Vigor gene to the exotic plant. Vigor genes from a plant that doesn't grow kudzu-style can be transferred to one that does, to make these plants more manageable. (Or you could transfer the kudzu vigor gene to a non-spreading plant; we're not judging here.)
12. Environment genes from station-adapted plants will help the target plant to grow on the station.
13. Diet genes from plants that are particularly frugal, or which can eat weeds or pests, can be transferred to plants that don't.
14. Hardiness genes from resistant plants can be transferred to plants that are vulnerable to pests, toxins, or weeds.
15. Bioluminescence can be transferred from one plant to another via the Output gene.

• The Biochemistry gene is special: Instead of replacing the gene on the target plant, it's added in. Your target plant will now produce fruit that contains chemicals from both fruit types. However, transferring a Biochemistry gene will result in a generally less vigorous plant with less potent fruit.

Dangerous Plants

Taming Kudzu

Kudzu, and other spreading vines, will spread from their tray into the lab. Given time and open doors, a vine plant could spread throughout the station. It will also entangle people who step into an area with thick growth, and may inject any chemicals from its fruit into the people it has entangled. Garden-variety kudzu isn't so dangerous; the dylovene it contains is not toxic. But beware the vine which contains cyanide.

To control a spreading vine

1. Before you plant, modify a vine-type plant by splicing in a Vigor gene from a plant that doesn't spread.
2. Plant a vine-type plant in the isolation area of the Xenoflora lab.
3. A hatchet can cut down vines more quickly than most tools.
4. Plant-b-gone and other chemicals that kill plants can also kill vines.
5. A goat will eat vine plants quickly and effectively (but is also ornery enough to bite you). Order one from Cargo.

• If the plant injects something poisonous, don't be where the vines are. Borgs are safe from poisonous substances.
• If the plant has the trait that makes it very carnivorous, it will drain blood from people it captures in its vines. Once again, don't be where the vines are.

Atmospheric Hazards

Some exotic plants emit gases ranging from nitrogen to Phoron. Some of these gases are dangerous only when the plant has created so much of them that the pressure in the room is dangerously high; others are dangerous even in small quantities.

To grow a plant that produces gas:

• Always plant unknown exotic plants in an isolation tray connected to a port.
• Your PDA includes an atmospheric scanner. Pull it up and monitor the air to detect gas-producing plants before you're unconscious or poisoned.
• If a plant produces gas, toggle the tray lid on the tray. This will isolate the tray, but it may not be the kind of environment the plant likes. Plants grown in isolation trays with the lids up will need careful tending and a lot of Diethylamine.
• Call for Atmospherics if the problem has gotten bad enough to contaminate the room (an atmos alarm panel flashing orange or red).
• If you were exposed to Phoron gas, leave the room immediately, decontaminate and get to Medical.

Tips and tricks

• Your general purpose as a Xenobotanist is to find out which gene mask corresponds to which trait and use this info to make bizarre mutant plants.
• You can click a disk in hand to clear the contents and reuse it. You have a limited number so keep an eye on them.

Plants have varied traits. Using a given plant to isolate a specific trait may be worthwhile (ie. kudzu for spread, poppies for lower nutrient and water consumption). Other traits should be fairly easy to find (pigment trait will cause the target to change color, etc.).

---