Status Updates From Kew - Rare Plants: Forty of...

A recently synthesized product based on the cactus is treating metabolism disorders, and there’s growing interest in its ability to lower cholesterol, limit atherogenesis (the build-up of fatty deposits) and improve heart health.

Water lilies are an ancient group, one of the earliest flowering plants
to evolve. [...]

The thermal water lily is now extinct in the wild, a sobering reflection of the fragility of endemic plants and a rousing challenge for global plant conservation

The Philippines are a hotspot for Nepenthes endemism, with 16 species occurring only in the archipelago. e extraordinary remoteness and extent of their forest habitat stirs a tantalizing sense that there’s more to be discovered.

Simply returning a lost species doesn’t always work: the “baseline” of the habitat may have shifted since the plant last occupied it. Previous reintroduction efforts for Lotus species on the Canary Islands have failed, but increasingly sophisticated mapping of a species’ full potential distribution may highlight new areas for establishment.

Kelp forests can absorb 20 times more carbon dioxide per acre than their terrestrial equivalent, and it’s estimated the world’s kelp forests absorb 600 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. It’s the method of absorption that’s significant, too. Growing rapidly, deep underwater, the carbon dioxide absorbed by kelp is sequestered deep into the ocean, safely stored away from the atmosphere.

It’s illegal to sell J. mimosifolia in the South African nursery trade, and new public plantings require a licence.

Ferns are ancient plants that first evolved when the Earth was a continuous land mass.

Recent research supports the use of G. kurroo as a medicine, and has isolated a wealth of active phytochemical compounds. Xanthones, iridoids and glucoflavones are among an array of bioactive substances being proven as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiarthritic and anti-inflammatory.

The snowdrop isn’t just an ornamental commodity. Used from the 1950s [...] to arrest cognitive decline in early onset Alzheimer’s sufferers, it was initially extracted from bulbs before the active alkaloid compound was synthesized at the end of the twentieth century. [...], snowdrop lectin, is an effective natural insecticide and is now being investigated for its efficacy in arresting HIV.

It’s [Eucalyptus] a source of fuel, food, medicine and fibre, boasts the world’s tallest flowering tree and served as the “canvas” for early Aboriginal painting.

Despite this towering stature, bananas are not trees but herbs with no
true woody tissue.

Dragon Tree:
- Despite its appearance, it’s not a true tree.
- The dragon tree’s vivid red resin, known evocatively as “dragon’s blood”, has been used in mummification, violin staining and to prevent tools rusting.
- [...] was dependent on [...] a flightless bird endemic to the Canary Islands [...]. With its avian partner long extinct, the dragon tree is now reliant on the islands’ human population [...]

Climate change is a stark reality for Ethiopian coffee farmers, with average annual increases of 1.3°C between 1960 and 2006 having alarming effects on their crops. C. arabica is showing significant signs of drought stress in the lowest altitude plantations, reducing productivity.

C. miniata is a highly toxic plant, containing several alkaloid chemicals, including lycorine. A compound also found in other members of the Amaryllidaceae family, such as Narcissus (daffodils), lycorine causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and potentially death. Compounds this potent can have valuable medical applications in carefully calibrated doses, and Clivia plants have a long history in Zulu medicine.

The scarcity of C. puniceus has impacted the New Zealand fauna with which it co-evolved. The bellbird feeds on its nectar, while an indigenous mite, Aceria clianthi, feeds on nothing else. Inevitably, this mite has become as endangered as its host plant. IUCN rate C. puniceus as “Endangered” on their Red List, with the wild population totalling little more than 150 plants in the east of New Zealand’s North Island.

Children merely touching the [Brugmansia] flowers may suffer serious reactions. Yet, in a clinical environment, carefully controlled doses have positive effects: scopolamine has been applied to treat depression, while atropine aids in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Brugmansia flowers and fruits contain a range of alkaloid toxins, including
scopolamine and atropine, a chemical suite shared with other “toxic”
Solanaceae members such as deadly nightshade and henbane. Acting on the autonomous nervous system, these chemicals are capable of severe damage to the heart, eyes and digestive organs – and the volume of alkaloid toxins in mature flowers is potentially fatal.

Monkey puzzles have adapted to combat fire with epicormic buds capable of post-burn sprouting, but the increasing frequency and intensity of fires, often deliberately started, overwhelms their ability to regenerate. Areas cleared of indigenous monkey puzzles are often replanted with fast-growing exotic tree species such as Eucalyptus.

"A range of potentially beneficial plant chemicals have been identified in A. vera, but the clinical view of its ability to heal is still cautious. The anti-inflammatory effects of the plant on mice are cited and there is anecdotal evidence of healing burns and wounds, with the qualification that the mechanism is uncertain."

Uhm, excuse me?

Baobabs are exceptionally long-lived trees, capable of growing for thousands of years. As a consequence, their reproductive strategy and subsequent capacity for regeneration is slow – a serious issue when combating threats that are growing fast.