Cebada (Hordeum vulgare)
Mandrágora (Mandragora autumnalis)
Cebada (Hordeum vulgare)
Mandrágora (Mandragora officinarum)
Remolacha (Beta vulgaris)
Amapola (Papaver somniferum)
Brassica (Brassica oleracea)
Cáñamo (Cannabis sativa)
Trigo harinero (Tritucum aestivum)
Haba (Vicia faba)
Allium (Esp. Allium)
Arveja (Pisum sativum)
Olivo (Olea europaea)
Vid (Vitis vinifera)
Papiro (Cyperus papyrus)
Tejo común (Taxus baccata)
Rosa (Esp. Rosa)
Pino (Especie Pinus)
Cañas (Esp. Arundo y Phragmite)
Roble (Esp. Quercus)
Manzano (Malus pumila)
Pimiento (Piper nigrum)
Zanahoria (Daucus carota)
Hierba pastel (Isatis tinctoria)
Cítricos (Esp. Citrus)
Nuez moscada (Myristica fragrans)
Morera blanca (Morus alba)
Tabaco (Nicotiana tabacum)
Tulipán (Esp. Tulipa)
Chile (Esp. Capsicum)
Quinua (Esp. Cinchona)
Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
Papa (Solanum tuberosum)
Tomate Solanum lycopersicum
Café (Coffea arabica)
Maíz (Zea mays)
Piña (Ananas comosus)
Poa de los prados (Poa pratensis)
Licopodio (Lycophyta)
Algodón (Esp. Gossypium)
Caña de azúcar (Saccharum officinale)
Coco (Cocos nucifera)
Arroz (Oryza sativa)
Té (Camellia sinensis)
Hierba cana (Jacobaea vulgaris)
Banano (Musa paradisiaca)
Caucho (Hevea brasiliensis)
Girasol (Helianthus annuus)
Palma aceitera (Elaeis guineensis)
Soya (Glycine max)
Neguilla (Agrostemma githago)
Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis thaliana)
"Las 50 plantas que el autor reseña han sido indispensables en el desarrollo de la humanidad, desde los antiguos neumáticos de caucho natural, que acompañaron el nacimiento de la industria del automóvil, hasta el maíz, la papa o el café, que han sido fundamentales en la alimentación universal. En pleno siglo XXI, a pesar de los desarrollos tecnológicos y los adelantos de la ciencia, seguimos siendo dependientes de las plantas para alimentarnos o curarnos. Este libro profundiza en el efecto que han tenido en nuestras vidas. " -- publisher summary
When did the British Government become the world's largest drugs pusher? What tree is frequently used to treat cancer? Which everyday condiment is the most widely traded spice on the planet? Plants are an indispensable part of our everyday life. From the coffee bush and grass for cattle which give us milk for our cappuccinos to the rubber tree which produces tyres for our cars, our lives are inextricably linked to the world of plants. Taking us on a chronological journey, Stephen Harris identifies fifty plants that have been key to the development of the Western world, discussing trade, politics, medicine, travel and chemistry along the way. Plants have provided paper and ink, chemicals that could kill or cure, vital sustenance and stimulants. Some, such as barley, have been staples from earliest times; others, such as oil palm, are newcomers to Western industry. Moreover, with time, uses change: beets, which have been used variously as a treatment for leprosy, source of sugar and animal feed, are now showing potential as biofuels. What may the future hold for mandrake or woad? We remain dependent on plants for our food, our fuel and our medicines. Their effects on our lives, as the stories in this wide-ranging and engaging book demonstrate, continue to be profound, and often unpredictable. -- translation from English version
