Introduction 8
The Plants: Northern Europe
Nettle, Urtica dioica, England 12
Common Rhododendron, Rhododendron ponticum, Scotland 14
Kelp (and Giant Kelp), Laminaria spp. and Macrocystis pyrifera, Scotland (and USA) 16
Sphagnum, or Peat Moss, Sphagnum spp., Ireland 20
Mistletoe, Viscum album, France 23
Wormwood, Artemisia absinthium, France 25
Clover, Trifolium pratense, Denmark 28
Tulip, Tulipa spp., Netherlands 31
Hop, Humulus lupulus, Germany 32
Barley, Hordeum vulgare, Germany 34
Flax, Linum usitatissimum, Sweden 36
Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, Estonia 38
Southern Europe
Saffron Crocus, Crocus sativus, Spain 40
Tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, Spain 42
Dead-horse Arum (with Cuckoo-pint, Dumb Cane and Selloum), Helicodiceros muscivorus et al., Spain (with England, USA and Brazil) 47
Mandrake, Mandragora officinarum, Italy 50
Castor Bean, or Castor Oil Plant, Ricinus communis, Italy 54
Artichoke, Cynara cardunculus, Italy 56
Myrtle, Myrtus communis, Greece 58
East Mediterranean and Middle East
Liquorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Turkey 60
Citron, Citrus medica, Israel 62
Papyrus, Cyperus papyrus, Egypt 64
Myrrh, Commiphora myrrha, Yemen 67
Africa
Oil Palm, Elaeis guineensis, Republic of Guinea 68
Cocoa Tree, or Cacao, Theobroma cacao, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) 70
Iboga, Tabernathe iboga, Gabon 73
Welwitschia, or Tree Tumbo, Welwitschia mirabilis, Angola 74
Quiver Tree (with 'True' Aloe), Aloidendron dichotomum (and Aloe vera), Namibia 76
Vanilla, Vanilla planifolia, Madagascar 80
Water Hyacinth, Eichbornia crassipes, Kenya 82
Coffee, Coffea arabicd, Ethiopia 84
Central and South Asia
Asafoetida, Ferula assa-foetida, Iran 86
Damask Rose, Rosa x damascena, Iran 89
Henna, Lawsonia inermis, Pakistan 91
Lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, India 92
'Aztec' or 'African' Marigold, Tagstes erecta, India 97
Mango, Mangifera indica, India 98
Banana (and its relatives Abaca, Golden Lotus Banana and Enset), Musa spp., Musella and Ensefe, India (with Philippines, China and Ethiopia) 101
Indigo, Indigo fern tinctoria, Bangladesh 105
East Asia
Soybean, Soya Bean, Glycine max, China 106
Giant Timber Bamboo, Pbyllostacbys reticulata, China 109
Nori (Seaweed), Pyropia yezoensis, Japan 112
Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum spp., Japan 115
Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba, Japan 116
South East Asia
Ginger, Zingiber officinale (and Z. spectabile), Thailand 119
Coconut, Cocas nucifera, Indonesia 121
Rafflesia, Rafflesia arnoldii, Malaysia 124
Nutmeg, Myristica fragrant, Indonesia 126
Oceania
Western Australian Christmas Tree (or Moojar), Nuytsia floribunda, Australia 129
Balga, or Grass 'Tree', Xanthorrhoea preissii, Australia 130
Opium Poppy, Papaver somniferum, Australia 132
Silver Tree Fern, or Ponga, Cyathea dealbata, New Zealand 134
Tree Fuchsia, or Kotukutuku, Fuchsia excorticata, New Zealand 137
Kava, Piper methysticum, Vanuatu 138
Screw Pine, or Pandanus, Pandanus spp., Kiribati 141
Candlenut Tree, or Kukui, Aleurites moluccanus, Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia) 144
South America
Yerba Mate, Ilex paraguariensis, Argentina 146
Amaranth, or Love-lies-bleeding, Amarantbus caudatus, Peru 148
Potato, Solanum tuberosum, Peru 150
Panama Hat 'Palm', Carludovica palmata, Ecuador 152
Giant Waterlily, Victoria amazonica, Guyana Sugar Cane, Saccbarum officinarum, Brazil 156
Mexico, Central America and Caribbean
Blue Agave, Agave tequilana, Mexico 158
Mexican Yam, Dioscorea mexicana, Mexico 162
Prickly Pear, or Nopal, Opuntia ficus-indica, Mexico 164
Pineapple, Ananas comosus, Costa Rica 168
Peacock Flower, or Pride of Barbados, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Barbados 170
North America
Cannabis, or Hemp, Cannabis saliva, USA 172
Cook Pine, Araucaria columnaris, USA 174
California Lady's Slipper, and other orchids, Cypripedium parviflorum et al., USA (and a brief world tour) 177
Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantea, USA 180
Maize, or Corn, Zea mays, USA 182
Spanish Moss, Tillandsia usneoides, USA 184
Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora, USA 186
Tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, USA 188
Squash, Pumpkin and Bottle Gourd, Cucurbita spp. and Lagenaria siceraria, USA (with Papua New Guinea) 191
Pitcher plants, Sarracenia, Darlingtonia and Nepenthes spp., USA (and Borneo) 195
Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, Canada 198
Horsetail, Equisetum byemale, Canada 200
Global
Marine Phytoplankton 203
Where to go next 205
Index 212