Hobbies And Interests
Anti-Cancer Plants
Scientists of the U.S. National Cancer Institute report that around 70 percent of drugs produced in the U.S. over the last 25 years include ingredients from medicinal plants. Up to 25 percent of these come from tropical rain forests. More than 2,000 plants possessing anti-cancer properties are used in medicines, including within chemotherapies for treatment of ovarian, breast, lung and prostate cancers. One plant notably used as an anesthetic is the curare plant. This tropical vine grows in the rain forests of South America. The sap extracted from the curare is widely used as a muscle relaxant.
World's Biggest Flower
The rafflesia flower, found in the rain forests of Malaysia, is the biggest and also considered one of the smelliest flowers in the world. This plant grows into a spectacular size even without chlorophyll, and the absence of photosynthesis is actually part of its process of growing. This plant uses its odor to attract insects, which it usually feeds on. The rafflesia flower can be spotted across Southeast Asia.
World's Smallest Flowers
The smallest flowering plant, wolffia, also known as the "watermeal," grows abundantly in the tropical rain forests of Africa, Australia, Asia and America. It is so small that a dozen of these small flowers can fit inside the eye of a needle. One of its most distinct characteristics is its ability to reproduce within 30 to 36 hours. Protein makes up 40 percent of the wolffia flower, which makes it edible -- with a similar nutritional value to soy beans.
Forest Giants
The tabonuco grows abundantly in the the El Yunque rain forest of Puerto Rico. This tree reaches up to an astounding height of 30 meters and a diameter of 1 meter. It is known to be one of the biggest and tallest trees of El Yunque. Its bark produces a white resin, useful for making fires and incense. The Tainos, migrants to the Caribbean at around 900 B.C.E., utilized the tabonuco for canoe and furniture construction.