Elaphoglossum is a mostly tropical fern genera with over 600 species. It is one of the most diverse genera of ferns. They feature large unlobed leaves, not unlike Asplenium, Pyrrosia (which is also called Tongue fern) or Lepisorus. In some species, the leaf is short, wide and thick and quite un-fern-like. Elaphoglossum prefers a warm, moist, mountainous habitat, but a few taxa have developed some measure of cold tolerance.

Pantropical distribution, occurring principally in wet-montane and cloud forests. The center of diversity is tropical America with ca. 450 described species.

No known.

Some people in Central America are studying a chemical produced by Elaphoglossum species. It is called “Crassipin” and is believed to have antidepressant activity.

No known.

Small, herbaceous, perennial shrub, up to 1.5 m tall. Short, stocky stem with tough, waxy leaves. Unpollinated flowers (up to 200) fuse to form a multiple fruit. The fruit of a pineapple is usually arranged in two interlocking helices. Typically, there are 8 helices in one direction and 13 in the other, each being a Fibonacci number. The plant is normally propagated from the offset produced at the top of the fruit or from side shoots, and typically mature within a year. The pineapple carries out CAM photosynthesis.

Native to South America. Introduction to Europe in the 17^th century as an icon of luxury. Since 1820s, pineapple has been commercially grown in greenhouses and many tropical plantations. It is the third most important tropical fruit in world production.

Pineapple fruits contain bromelain, a protein-splitting enzyme that aids digestion.
The sour, unripe fruit improves digestion, increases appetite and relieves dyspepsia.
In Indian herbal medicine it is also thought to act as a uterine tonic.
It is used as a treatment to ease sore throats.
It is eaten in some areas, either on its own or cooked with Citrus aurantiifolia) to procure an abortion.
The ripe fruit cools and soothes – it is used to settle wind and reduce excessive gastric acid.
Its significant fibre content makes it a useful laxative for relieving constipation.
The juice of the ripe fruit is both diuretic and a digestive tonic.
The leaves are anthelmintic and purgative.
They considered useful in encouraging the onset of menstruation and easing painful periods.
The leaves are used to treat fractures
The juice of the plant is applied to burns, itches and boils.

In the wild, pineapples are pollinated primarily by hummingbirds. Certain wild pineapples are foraged and pollinated at night by bats. Under intensive cultivation, because seed development diminishes fruit quality, pollination is performed by hand and seeds are retained only for breeding.

Perennial grass, 2-6 m tall, about 5 cm in diameter. It has stout, jointed fibrous stalks that are rich in sucrose, which accumulates in the stalk internodes. Sugarcane accounts for 79% of sugar produced; most of the rest is made from sugar beets.

Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of Southeast Asia and New Guinea. It was an ancient crop of the Austronesian and Papuan people and was introduced to Oceania and Madagascar in prehistoric times (canoe plant). The Persians and Greeks encountered the famous “reeds that produce honey without bees” in India between the 6^th and 4^th centuries BC. They adopted and then spread sugarcane agriculture. Merchants began to trade in sugar, which was considered a luxurious and expensive spice, from India. In the 18^th century AD, sugarcane plantations began in Caribbean, South America, Indian Ocean and Pacific island nations and the need for laborers became a major driver of large migrations of people, some voluntarily accepting indentured servitude (e.g. Indo-Fijians) and others forcibly exported as slaves.

No known.

In Fiji, there is also growing Saccharum edule (duruka, dule), used for its edible inflorescence.

Tropical shrub, 2-6 m tall. Thick trunk. Leaves 1- or 2-pinnate, rounded or oval, toothed or sometimes cut. Tiny flowers occur in erect panicles of umbels. Shield aralia is often used to form bonsai. It grows best in moderately humid environments with no direct sun-light and adapts rather well indoors.

Native to Southwest Pacific Islands. Commonly grown in tropical gardens.

No known.

Shield aralia is related (same family) to Ivy (Hedera sp.) and Lancewood (Pseudopanax crassifolius).

The caterpillars of the Commander (Limenitis procris), a brush-footed butterfly, utilize this species as a foodplant.

Native to West Africa. Cultivated as ornamental plant around the world.

No known.

Red flag bush is related (same family) to Coffee (Coffea arabica, #6).

Small, fast-growing tree. Used for a variety of purposes, such as fencing, soil fertility (N-Fixation), firewood (high biomass production), fiber and livestock fodder (high protein content). During the 1970s and 1980s, it was promoted as a “miracle tree” for its multiple uses. However, it has also been described as a “conflict tree” because it is used for forage production but spreads like a weed in some places (highly invasive).

Native to southern Mexico and northern Central America (Belize and Guatemala) and now naturalized throughout the tropics.

No known.

The legume provides an excellent source of high-protein cattle fodder. However, the fodder contains Mimosine, a toxic amino acid. Horses and donkeys which are fed it lose their hair.

Before consumption, it must be properly prepared, as improper preparation can leave enough residual cyanide to cause cyanide intoxication.

Native to South America. Cultivated around the world in tropical and subtropical regions.

Cassava is often used in traditional medicine and has several applications.
The plant is antifungal, antiviral, mutagenic and antibacterial.
The roots of bitter varieties can be used to treat scabies, diarrhoea and dysentery.
The juice of the grated tubers is used to treat constipation and indigestion.
A flour made from the roots can be used as a dusting powder on the skin in order to help dry weeping skin.
Soaked with Carapa oil, it is used as a poultice on shattered muscles.
It is mixed with rum and rubbed onto children’s skin as a treatment for abscesses and skin eruptions.
It can be made into an ointment to treat fungal dermatitis.
The leaves are haemostatic.
They are made into a poultice to treat wounds.
The leaves are infused in bath water to treat influenza and fevers.
The leaves are heated and rubbed across sore eyes.
The stem is folded and rubbed across the eyes of people suffering from glaucoma.
The bark of the plant, together with that of Cordyline terminalis, is thought to prolong life.
Sugar cane and annatto are employed in an antidote to ingested water which has been poisoned by the soaking roots of this plant.

It is one of the most drough-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils.

Shrub, up to 4 m tall. Leaves 50-80 cm long (with many leaflets). Inflorescence looks like a yellow candle (“Candle bush”). Fruit shaped like a straight pod, up to 25 cm long. Seeds distributed by water or animals.

Native to most of the Neotropics (from Mexico and the West Indies to Paraguay) and can be found in diverse habitats. Invasive species in Austronesia. Planted as medicinal and ornamental plant in Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa

No known.

The Candle bush is often called “Ringworm bush” because of its very effective fungicidal properties, for treating ringworm and other fungal infections of the skin.

Shrubby, perennial herb, up to 60 cm tall. Stem densely branched. Flowers white (sometimes purplish). Botanically, the Chilli fruits are berries that may be green, yellow, orange or red when ripe. While Capsicum annuum can tolerate most frost-free climates, it is especially productive in warm and dry climates.

Native to southern North America and northern South America. Cultivated around the world in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, both mild and hot, such as bell peppers, jalapenos and cayenne peppers.

The fruit of the hot, pungent cultivars is ant haemorrhoidal when taken in small amounts, antirheumatic, antiseptic, diaphoretic, digestive, irritant, rubefacient, sialagogue and tonic.
It is taken internally in the treatment of the cold stage of fevers, debility in convalescence or old age, varicose veins, asthma and digestive problems.
Externally it is used in the treatment of sprains, unbroken chilblains, neuralgia, pleurisy etc.It is an effective sea-sickness preventative.

Although the species name annuum means annual (Latin “annus”: year), the plant is not an annual but is frost tender. In the absence of winter frosts, it can survive several seasons and grow into a large perennial herb.