The Nullmouth Orchid is a rare black flower whose hollow central bloom removes sound from a widening area while it is open.
Appearance
A mature plant carries two broad charcoal-green leaves on a twisted stem. Its flower has six velvety black petals surrounding a circular center that reflects no visible light, even under a field lamp.
The roots contain small hollow chambers linked by pale membranes. Botanists suspect these chambers help the flower store vibration, but no specimen has remained stable long enough for a complete internal scan.
Silence zone
When the bloom opens, ordinary background noise fades first. Footsteps, voices, alarms, and radio speakers then become quieter as the silent area expands outward from the flower.
Recorders carried back from the edge contain a flat signal rather than reduced volume. It is not known whether the plant absorbs sound energy, prevents vibration, or changes how nearby observers remember hearing it.
Unresolved observations
Closed specimens have appeared in service rooms that were empty during the previous inspection. Seed capsules are sometimes found outside the silent area even when every door and vent remains sealed.
Reports disagree about the duration of a bloom cycle. One field team measured eleven minutes, while another clock showed that no time had passed. The Registry therefore has not assigned a normal growth or reproduction model.
Black mark procedure
Residents do not cross a black silence line or attempt to call someone standing inside it. A flashing amber guide rope marks the last position where sound can still be confirmed.
Only remote cameras are placed near the plant. If the guide rope stops making its test vibration, observers leave the room without approaching the flower or retrieving equipment.
Reproduction
N/A