so I've founded a fortress with the intent to build it into a gigantic library, and thought it'd be cool to go out as an adventurer with the fortress retired, and bring back some papyrus plants so I could have papyrus for my paper production. but I can't seem to figure out if I can harvest the actual plants. it seems you can ''pick leaf'. but never anything actually usefull of the plant. do I need to mod something for this to be possible or is it possible and am I just missing something?
Easier to make parchment paper, you just need a source of calcium carbonate. Adventurers can get a much higher volume of skins than fortress mode can.
"Just" need a source of calcium carbonate, he says.
For that you need a suitable embark, and even then it's still finite (and used in steel making.) Caravan brings it in limited quantities (which defeats the whole purpose since you can just order parchment in bulk.) Then you need to make quicklime at a kiln (keeping in mind you're hauling boulders,) then convert it into quicklime at an ashery (requiring a bag.) Now you get to make the parchment from skin at tanner's shop. Sure hope you didn't accidentally tan all your hides! It's actually the most complicated and difficult of all the sheets.
You know what's really easy? Any cloth plant -> slurry (quern) -> paper (screw press). Done.
If you're really set on papyrus, you can embark on a suitable site (tropical wetland,) gather the seeds there, then have an adventurer deliver them. Keep in mind you probably can't grow it on a non-tropical embark. The wetland requirement might be fulfilled by muddying the soil. If not, then if you can't find it growing wild on your embark, it simply can't be grown there. Check your farm plot seeds list.