Five plants that have changed the world

(Adapted from Seeds of Change; Five Plants That Transformed Mankind, book by

Henry Hobhouse)

Quinine

Quinine

Chinchona sp.

Discovered by the Quechua, who are indigenous to Peru and Bolivia; later, the Jesuits were the first to bring cinchona to Europe.Enabling Europeans to move into Malarial regions and colonise parts of the world.

Sugar cane (Saccharum sp.)

Tropical, perennial grass, forms lateral shoots at the base to produce multiple stems,

Typically 3-4 metres high and about 5 cm in diameter.

The stems grow into cane stalk, which when mature constitutes approximately 75% of the entire plant.

A mature stalk is typically composed of 11–16% fibre, 12–16% soluble sugars, 2–3% non-sugars, and 63–73% water.

Cocaine (Erythroxylum coca)

Psychoactive alkaloid