Calamity grass (Herba fortis) is a foliage developed in the recent Longbottoms et al, by the somewhat lesser known Graldin Associates in 1897, a subsidiary of the Verdant Industries Incorporated. In the mere three decades since its inception, H. fortis has exploded into popular use with sports enthusiasts across the wizarding world, surpassing the reliable Rebounding Shrubbery (Frutex repente) in sales by its second decade.
H. fortis originates in France, from three separate ancestral lines. As required by ICW International Standards, each source is registered with the Agricultural Department (see: Plants Genealogy, Breeding Stock for Stock, pub. 2001). To whit, these three plants include the classic crab grass (Genus: Digitaria), Defensive Dartgrass (Genus: heus) and the unique Whispering Grass (Genus: Magna) found in the upper highlands of New Zealand.
The art of hybridization in the vegetation kingdom is a complex and subtle one. Misunderstanding the inherent tendencies breeding true throughout a collective herb's lifespan can cause the generation of malevolent life forms (see: Vampire Lily: Parasitic Plants vol. 5, by Glowing Vision, 1921). While unregulated, this practice remains so at the sheer incomprehensible levels of surveillance needed to enforce regulatory prohibitions.
Magical plants generate magic in and of themselves; their potential for interbreeding is an innate quantity difficult to be measured. While certain plants are incapable of propagation without the active presence of wizards (See: Huntsman's Sorrow, Healing Plants vol 2, by Dragonfeed Baitman, 1999), this is a restriction based on location alone. Once germinated, such plants are capable of maintaining growth for indefinite timespans, until another wizard comes into close proximity.
Such is the development of H. fortis, a resistant plant to most forms of physical affliction. Should its proliferation be released to the natural world, it would be capable of overwhelming less engineered plants. Calculations by the expert think tank (Grim J., Salt. S, and Mantle, aka GSM) postulated a doomsday scenario in 1897 where H. fortis would eliminate competitive grasses on a smaller continent within six years. Exponential population growth would then drive larger forbs and small trees into extinction, as fallen seeds and fruits would not be capable of penetrating the dense fibrous mat created by H. fortis root systems.
It is then fortunate indeed that H. fortis is able to propagate through the sole direction of licensed experts. The exact process shall not be stated in explicit measures for obvious reasons, but the general acclaim places the reproductive capacity as being limited to pollen brushes. Woods, hairs, potions and enchantments can all be used to alter life cycles in plants, which renders this explanation unfit for guiding potential growers.
The uses for H. fortis are myriad. It is the preferred groundcover reserved for high-stress environments, adopted by the International Quidditch Association by 1900, the Australian Open Range Caber Competition by 1903, and the Leadfoot Von Exercising troupe by 1988. Its resilience to physical damage has made H. fortis a popular choice for amateur courts of all kinds, despite the expensive nature installation incurs. It was credited to saving over 150 lives in the Ley Rán Scandal, when the infamous Dark Witch Rán caused a wizarding stadium to collapse in the middle of the Ley City Quidditch Semi-Finals.
It is credited again with the mitigation of an unexpected earthquake in Tehran, 1991. Rooftop gardens containing H. fortis is responsible for delaying lethal ceiling collapse from descending upon the Dar Al'uwbra Alkubraa for an astounding five minutes. Considering the opera house rises three hundred feet above the audience floor, and the load-bearing beams were carrying an estimated 40 million short tons. Over five thousand wizards were present to watch the visiting violin virtuoso J. Gingold (one of the few muggles to know and interact with the wizarding world), and were able to escape before the ceiling's collapse spelled certain death (see: Catastrophe Avoided in Tehran, Shardly News International, LLC, June 5, 1991).
In conclusion, this beneficial plant has been used to great effect. Its unsung life-saving properties have a greater impact on civilization than we would expect. Further research into this matter is needed; what other properties could such a plant provide? Its latent effects on potioneering is unknown, despite its widespread use. What other plants could be blended to create a hybrid of such munificent qualities?
Eager enthusiasts desire to know!
Charles Levinhand, Prof. of Cruel and Unusual Geography, Majister Minimus, and contributor to Botanist Monthly
