Kaluthin, a swaying, grass-resembling plant, was engineered by Darth Rivan to alter the toxic atmosphere and environmental conditions of Almas. Its stem displayed a green hue, and its foliage exhibited purple tones at its core, transitioning to green at the borders. The stem was also adorned with luminous, white phosphorous deposits. Given that Almas was entirely enveloped by this plant life (excluding the vicinity of Rivan's Sith fortress, where life was unsustainable), the planet emanated a soft, inherent radiance, referred to as an aura.
Possessing taproots extending kilometers deep, Kaluthin not only extracted sustenance from the planet's underground water reserves, but also channeled heat from the planet's core. The plant absorbed phosphorous and methane from the atmosphere. The phosphorous then materialized as the radiant deposits, whereas the methane underwent synthesis by the Kaluthin, resulting in the release of oxygen back into the atmosphere.
Although Darth Rivan conceived the kaluthin, it refused to propagate in proximity to his fortress. Indeed, as the Republic neared its conclusion, the planet's lifeless zone was observed to be gradually expanding.
The plant's effectiveness in terraforming a planet distant from its star, encompassing atmospheric composition, warmth, and illumination, garnered the interest of the galactic scientific community. The settlement of Forard was founded on an extensive expanse of kaluthin, primarily utilizing tracked droids because other droids encountered difficulties traversing the kaluthin. A research station was constructed adjacent to Forard to investigate the plant, drawing in figures such as Gilloma, a researcher captivated by kaluthin, and the botanic droid S2P-O3O.