Turquoise

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 148 years old. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has many knobbly, curved stems covered in thick, wrinkled, light brown bark, and the wood inside is pale brown-grey.

The branches trail down towards the ground that and are covered with small bunches of giant, very thin, leaves with toothed edges. The leaves themselves are washed-out green and light red, delicate and rough.

In mid-summer it produces several small, pink blossoms with needle-like petals. They are sturdy and have the faintest scent that smells like rotting meat.

In mid-autumn asymmetrical fruits ripen. The sticky silver skin is thick and edible when cooked; it is savoury, and the very soft turquoise flesh is sweet and very dry. The white seeds are small and are located in the centre of the fruit.