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not only adapted to special conditions of their soil, but have developed defimses against 

 being eaten by grazing animals, insects, against fungal and bacterial diseases, and to help 

 deter other nearby vegetation and thus gain a competitive advantage in cbcir habitats. 

 How have they done this? The answer is through chemistry-chemicals they make 

 themselves. Every one of theses chemicals is a biological agent, because it affects other 

 organisms. Think of a plant, as a tiny biological weapons factory. Our common names 

 for these plants like "fleabanc," "wormwood," "locowccd", and "bugbanc," arc dues to 

 their usefulness. 



We, the human spcxncs, arc beneficiaries of this plant activity. What may work as 

 a deterrent of some sort m Podophyllum peitatum, the may apple, was used by Native 

 Americans to treat warts arul as a laxaavc. In modem uses, it yields the chemical 

 podophyllotoxin, part of our biological arsenal to treat cancer. A poison in foxglove 

 (Digitalis purpurea), introduced by Europeans to this country, yields a powerful heart 

 medicine. Wood of the Pacific Yew (Taxus hrtvifrUa) always considered rcsistcnt to 

 decay by Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest yielded taxol, a modem an 

 important treatment for cancer. Alkaloids which deter grazing or insect infestation find 

 multiple uses as stimulants, immune system treatments, cancer treatment, and many 

 other ascs. 



A number of plants have gained increased attention of late because of their 

 possible uses in treating diseases of the inunune system. These include Astragalus 

 membranaceous, a plant from China, and three American species. Echinacea purpurea, 

 Ijgusticum porteri, and Lomatium dtssectum, all of which were used medicinally by Native 

 Americans. Notably, all of these genera have closer relatives, within the same genus, 

 already listed as Endangered or Threatened, or which are candidates for listing. 



Economic uses do not end with medicinal potential Plant chemicals find uses is 

 industr)-, as natural pesticides, for example. Other plants, adapted to specific soils or 

 conditions, can become gold or other mineral indicators to the gcobotanist. They may 

 even concentrate certain chemicaU in their tissues. Plant oils have found use in industry 

 as high quality lubricants. Relatives nf economic plants, such as those rare and 

 endangered in this country are an impnrrant resource. 



4. Considering that up ro an csrimated 20% of the kinds of plants native to the 

 United States arc rare or endangered, we stand fu loose a maior part of this resource 

 unless conservation activities thniuph the Endangered Species Act or other means can 

 slow the loss. I believe that by far the most cffecnvc and least expensive methods arc 

 through coascrving the species on the land they already occupy. This w the premise of 

 work at The Berry Botanic Garden and every other major comervation organization 

 working with endangered plants today. 



