plants that have changed the world
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Three plants that have changed the world
(Adapted from Seeds of Change; Five Plants That Transformed Mankind, book by
Henry Hobhouse)
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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.
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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.
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Cocaine (Erythroxylum coca)
Psychoactive alkaloid