1. Indian fig opuntia
Opuntia ficus-indica
This cactus, also known as ‘prickly pear’ is
cultivated in many parts of the world, including
the Mediterranean region, Mexico, Argentina,
Brazil, China and Korea. Commercially valuable
for its large, sweet fruits the green ‘pads’ are
also used in cooking.
Family: Cactaceae
A prickly response to diabetes

2. Good for us
good for the plant
This plant contains fibre and pectin, which
can lower blood sugar levels by decreasing the
absorption of sugar in the stomach and intestine.
Some researchers think that it may also lower
cholesterol levels and kill viruses in the body.
One study has found that a combination of
insulin and an extract from a related species
Opuntia fuliginosa, lowers animals’ blood sugar
levels more effectively than insulin alone.
However
there is still much more research needed to
determine the effectiveness in humans.

3. Elephant yam
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius
Elephant yam (not to be confused with the
elephant’s foot yam) is a striking plant with a
distinctive flower. The plant is cultivated for its
edible tubers, which are an important source of
carbohydrate in India and Indonesia, and a valued
‘famine crop’ (used when rice and maize are in
short supply) throughout tropical Asia.
Family: Araceae
A natural digestion remedy

4. Good for us
good for the plant
The tubers contain many different chemical
compounds and are traditionally used to treat
a wide range of digestive conditions, including
parasitic worms, inflammation of the bowel,
flatulence, constipation and haemorrhoids.
The plant also benefits, as one of the compounds
is calcium oxalate, which deters herbivores
because of its irritant effects on the mouth
and throat.
Fortunately
humans have found a way of eating them
safely by removing the irritant compound
during food preparation.

5. Pelican flower
Aristolochia grandiflora
The pelican flower occurs naturally in the
lowlands of southern Mexico and in Jamaica. It
has been introduced elsewhere (for example, in
the southern USA as a food plant for swallowtail
butterflies), and has also become naturalised in
parts of Western Australia.
Family: Araceae
Snake bites and antibiotics

6. Good for us
good for the plant
This plant contains many different chemical
compounds called alkaloids that act as
disinfectants and have also been used as an
antidote to snake venom. Research is being
done on these compounds to see whether
they could be used as an antibiotic.
Benefits
The plant itself benefits from the presence
of the alkaloids, which protect it against attack
by insects and disease-causing organisms.

7. Elephant’s foot yam
Dioscorea elephantipes
Have you ever sprained your ankle? Did it swell
up? You may have been given cortisone to reduce
the inflammation and ease the pain. Cortisone is
a hormone with anti-inflammatory properties
that is found in the tubers of this plant.
Although there are now cheaper and more viable
sources of cortisone, the elephant’s foot yam is
still under threat from over-harvesting in the
wild for both traditional medicinal uses and the
horticultural trade.
Family: Dioscoreaceae
Healing Hormones

8. Good for us
good for the plant
The compounds extracted from the tubers are
known as anti-feedants. They taste bitter and
can be toxic to animals, so providing excellent
protection against predators.
The elephant foot’s yam had not been seen
in South Africa since the 1950s.
However
a population of over 1,000 plants was
rediscovered recently, with the aid of a local
shepherd, during a special expedition to South
Africa involving Paul Smith, head of Kew’s
Millennium Seed Bank, and scientists from
the National Botanical Institute.