Abstract
THE history of the spice plants has been dealt with at some length since they have played so important a part in geographical discovery, territorial acquisitions, and wars between European nations. There are however several plants of great economic importance which have travelled far from their lands of origin, of the wanderings of which we have no certain records. Among these are the coco–nut, sugar cane, banana, cassava, ground nut, and possibly the West African oil palm.
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01 November 1941
Sir Arthur Hill writes: “In my article ‘The Search for Economic Plants, in NATURE of July 5, p. 15 and July 12, p. 42, Ephedra was accidentally included among the plants yielding important insecticides (p. 44, line 5 from base). This is, of course, incorrect. The alkaloid ephedrine, Which is derived from the dried twigs of two Chinese and an Indian species of Ephedra (Gnetaceae), is similar in its physiological effects to adrenaline in moderate doses. Ephedra plants and seeds have been sent by Kew to suitable Colonies in the hope of producing a supply of this valuable drug.”
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HILL, A. THE SEARCH FOR ECONOMIC PLANTS. Nature 148, 42–44 (1941). https://doi.org/10.1038/148042a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/148042a0
