Download - Why Botany is Cool
Why Botany is Cool
Plants are Chemical Factories….why?
Dioscorea, yam
Erythroxylum coca
Snakeroot, Rauwolfia serpentina
Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea
Marijuana, Cannabis sativa
Important MedicinalsBelladonna, Atropa belladonna Atropine, scopalamine
Rosy Periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus Vincristine, vinblastine; treats cancer
Cinchona Quinine, treats malaria
Colchicum autumnale Colchicine, treats gout; mitotic poison
Ephedra Ephedrine, decongestant
Goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis* Hydrastine, treats inflamed mucosa
Tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum Stimulant
Opium Poppy, Papaver somniferum Morphine, codeine
Willows, Salix sp.* Salicin, aspirin
Pacific Yew, Taxus brevifolia Taxol, treats cancer
Chrysanthemum sp. Pyrethrum, treats lice; insecticide
May Apple, Podophyllum peltatum* Podophllotoxin, treats venereal warts
*might be found on campus
Taxol, Pacific Yew
• To get one kilogram requires cutting and stripping bark from ~12,000 trees
• Now being produced by cells in tissue culture
Even Wars…
The First Opium War• 1839-42• Between China and
England• Hong Kong taken over
by the British
Directly or indirectly, plants provide all the food we eat.
Piper nigrum• Only spice that could
make decaying or heavily salted meat edible
• Drew many explorers, including Columbus, to discover rain forested areas.
Tea and Coffee
We Use Their Bodies
• Lumber• Paper– An average tree produces pulp to make ~400
copies of a 40 page newspaper• Wood pulp-cardboard, fiberboard, ice cream
fillers, cellophane, rayon• Fuel-my sole source of heat!• Charcoal, fabrics, rope, baseball bats
• Maple syrup (Acer saccharinum)• Cinnamon, (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)• Dyes• Tannins• Natural chewing gum (Manilkara zapota)• Natural rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)• 50 million Christmas trees• Cork
The Lore of Trees
• More species of trees in Appalachians than in all of Europe
• A fully grown deciduous tree can transpire more than a ton of water per day
• $200,000 of services provided by a single tree living 50 years:– Producing oxygen-$32,000; keeps a family of 4 breathing for a year– Recycling water, regulating humidity-$37,000– Habitat and shelter for wildlife-$31,000– Reducing erosion-$31,000– Pollution control-$62,500
Have You Hugged a Tree?
• Annually removes about 12 kg of carbon dioxide– ~equivalent to a 7000 km trip in a car
• For those who don’t hug…– NYC-for cutting down a public tree…$1000 fine
and 90 days– NJ-for cutting down a shade tree, up to $1500 fine
and replacement fee of up to $27/sq. in.• ~$20,000 for an average tree.
Relationships With Wildlife
Have you thanked a plant today?
Hug a tree on the way to your next class!