United Genome Corporation
(Initially held patent to Torzone.)
Named for its discoverer, Andrew Marquessen, Marquessen's Datura provided the impetus to bring San Corenzo from a virtually unknown protectorate of the US to the economic pivot of the world... and eventually, to make it an independent nation.
The plant itself seems relatively dull: a leafy green shrub, ~30 cm high, with one to three small white flowers near the top. Like other members of the Datura family (such as Belladonna and Sacred Datura), its leaves and flowers are hallucinogenic in small doses, and fatal in large.
As Marquessen discovered, however, the roots and stalk of the plant are rich in a substance now known as Torzone (formerly a registered trademark), of whose value to society and to the economy the reader is well aware. After 2008, this humble datura, previously used only by the residents of the island to induce a mild hallucinatory state, was now a vital drug, a priceless commodity, and a wonder of nature. Medicine finally had cancer in check.
Due to environmental peculiarities of the region, researchers have not yet been able to successfully cultivate Marquessen's Datura anywhere but on the island of San Corenzo. All lab-grown specimens to date has been sickly and brownish, with no trace of the Torzone compound. The reason why is not yet fully understood. One theory suggests that a symbiotic relationship exists between the datura and certain bacteria indigenous to the island's soil. Another suggests a link between Torzone production and the exact hours of sunrise and sunset on the island.
As of yet, the problem remains unsolved.
United Genome Corporation
(Initially held patent to Torzone.)
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