I've always found it interesting that Neelix always has access to Leola Root. It must grow on nearly every M-Class planet in the Delta Quadrant. Which, given the vastness of space, doesn't make a lot of sense.
Now, I can think of two possible reasons for this. The first is like parallel evolution, like carcinization. Perhaps the Leola Root is just a really good blueprint for a plant, and like animals keep evolving into crabs, plants keep evolving into Leola Root.
The second is, like the humanoid form, an ancient race spread Leola Root throughout the quadrant, seeding worlds with its genes. Judging by Neelix's particular evangelism for the plant, could that race perhaps have been the Talaxians? Perhaps with help from the Vaadwaur's subspace tunnels?
You're suggesting there may have been some kind of interstellar Johnny Leolaseed? I could see that happening.
The more pragmatic reason is that it grows quickly in the hydroponics bay. Perhaps it also contains more nutrients than many of their other crops and as such, more is being produced.
One of the first things he does is planting the hydroponics bay.
I remember he makes them go out in a planet, just to gather the plant so he could grow it.
They showed hydroponics. Maybe leola root was the only thing that grew fast enough in hydroponics?
While is is true Neelix had several plants grown in the hydroponic bay, they also have collected Leola root on multiple planets. Either they were seeded (which is somewhat likely; Talaxians used to be widespread in the delta quadrant once upon a time) or "leola" just means "edible" and isn't necessarily a single type of root.
Or that it’s not really Leola root. Maybe it’s something that Neelix knows nobody would willingly eat, so he just calls it Leola root to make it palatable.
Moichendaising! Leola root the lunchbox! Leola root the doll!
I've kind of always assumed this explained where he found so much "Leola Root".
I figure it's different gross crap from planet to planet.
For a couple star systems, his claim that it's "Leola Root" seemed plausible to the crew.
Eventually everyone was putting so much replicated salt on it that they can't taste the flavor changes, and Neelix is just bluffing his way through cooking whatever weeds he can find.
Right? He went through like the better part of a decade nattering on about and serving his bloody space taters or whatever. That shit was ALWAYS on the menu. Where the hell does he store the mass equivalent of a borg cube’s worth of Leola root, ffs???
Oh yeah - the pattern buffers, of course.
Could just get that it does well in hydroponics and grows really fast.
I have one of two theories
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It grows quickly in the hydroponic garden, which is why Neelix likes to push it since it's always "fresh".
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There's a weird UT glitch that it calls a whole bunch of roots that are similar enough to Leola as a Leola root.
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