Transcript Seven Plants that Changed the World

Seven Plants that Changed the
World
Based on the book “An Empire of
Plants” by Toby and Will Musgrave
Tina Tuttle
Nicotiana tabacum
An annual in the Solanaceae family,
used by the Mayan as early as
1500BC.
Smoking Tobacco
Nicotiana alata
Nicotiana
sylvestris
Nicotiana langsdorffii
Saccharum officinarum
“The world’s most indulgent and
unnecessary crop!”
Sugar Cane
The process:
1. Harvested by hand.
2. Canes are run through rollers
to extract the juice.
3. Boiled, evaporated into sugar crystals.
5. Rum
4. Molasses
Beta vulgaris
Zea mays
Gossypium tomentosum
One of the oldest cultivated plants,
an annual in the Malvaceae family.
Cotton
Coastal Cotton in USA
Muslin from Mosul Turkey Cotton
Calico Cottons from Calcutta, India
Nankeen Cotton from Nanjing, China
1738
1764
1794
1775
Camellia sinensis
Known since 2737BC and cultivated
in 3rd century AD. China’s national
drink in Tang dynasty (610-906AD).
Tea
Wedgewood
1908
1904
1763 Boston Tea Party
“Plucking plateau”
Black Tea
Green Tea
Papaver somniferum
Called the “Plant of Joy”
Poppy
The First Opium War 1840-1842-Treaty of Nanjing ceded Hong Kong.
The Second Opium War 1856-1860
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Hypodermic needle-1853
Chinchona officinalis
Member of the madder family
(Rubinaceae), kin to Gardenia and
known as “Jesuit Bark”.
Quinine
Hevea brassilliensis
Aztecs painted the milky sap of this
tropical tree on their feet as
waterproof ‘boots’.
Rubber
Calendering machine
Charles Macintosh
Charles Goodyear
The Michelin Brothers
John B. Dunlop
Did you learn anything new??
Any Questions?
Thank You!