Economic plants
The article food places food consumption within the context of sustainability and daily living. The article Agraria investigates the cultural context of the emergence of civilization that was part of the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution. Origins of agriculture discusses the various centres of domestication out of which modern civilizations were formed; also the relative advantages and disadvantages of the hunter-gatherer, pastoralist, farming, and industrial modes of existence. The article on staple crops is an historical account of the foods that have supported human lives since the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution. Plants for people a general list of plants of economic significance. In addition, there are descriptions of individual plants of global economic importance in the section on economic plants.
For a comprehensive list of the world’s plants see the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew web site which invites us to browse 1,421,000 global plant names, 199,900 detailed descriptions, and 374,100 images (5 May 2023).
The Royal Horticultural Society with its continuing global influence on horticulture has an authoritative list of ornamental plants. For plant common names in non-English languages and scripts see the Multilingual Multiscripted Plant Name Database.
Plants for people
The article plants for people provides a summary account of the plants that have been of major importance to humanity throughout history. It is a global record that begins with the staple plants that comprised the sustenance diet, and first domesticated plants of independent centres of the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution. It then moves on to the second-order plants of history that were not the staples necessary for survival but which were nevertheless considered highly desirable or ‘luxury’ possessions.
Introduction – Economic Plants
Ancient Origins:
Cultigens, which include our most common economic plants, likely date back to the first settled communities during the Neolithic Revolution (around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago).
These early cultivators selectively bred and propagated plants for specific purposes, such as food, fiber, medicine, and other practical uses.
The exact time and place of origin for many of these plants remain a mystery, but their impact on human civilization is undeniable.
Medieval Herbals:
In medieval Europe, botanical science was overshadowed by a focus on the medicinal properties of plants.
Classical works on medicinal plants from Greco-Roman times were reproduced in manuscripts and herbals.
These herbals described plant uses and properties, emphasizing their practical benefits.
Renaissance and Flora:
The Renaissance (14th–17th centuries) marked a scientific revival, and botany emerged as an independent science.
Herbals were gradually replaced by floras, which described native plants of specific regions.
The invention of the microscope allowed for detailed study of plant anatomy.
Classification Systems:
Major classification systems were proposed to incorporate new discoveries:
De Jussieu (French, 1789)
Bentham and Hooker (British, 1862–1883)
Engler and Prantl (German, 1887–1915)
Practical Economic Groups
Food Crops:
Cereals: Wheat, rice, maize (corn), barley
Legumes: Beans, lentils, peas
Root Crops: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava
Cash Crops:
Coffee: Originating in Ethiopia, coffee became a global commodity.
Tea: Introduced from China, tea plantations spread worldwide.
Cotton: Vital for textiles and trade.
Medicinal Plants:
Opium Poppy: Source of pain-relieving opiates.
Cinchona Tree: Provides quinine for treating malaria.
Digitalis: Used for heart conditions.
Industrial Plants:
Rubber Trees: Latex for tires and industrial products.
Sugarcane: For sugar and biofuel.
Flax: Fiber for linen.
Ornamental Plants:
Roses: Symbolic and widely cultivated.
Orchids: Valued for beauty and rarity.
Tulips: Historical economic bubble during the Dutch Golden Age.
Conclusion
Economic plants have shaped human civilization, from ancient cultivation to modern global trade. Their discovery, classification, and practical uses continue to influence our lives.
