The land of the tropics has absorbed the lion's share of all existing useful chemical compounds. From time immemorial, tropical plants have been used as medicinal, aromatic, and cosmetic products. Tea and coffee grow in the tropics, without which not a single breakfast can do. From there, most of the world's favorite spices went.
Genus of perennial tropical herbaceous plants Cymbopogon
Zimbopogon (sem. Grain) comes from the tropics of Southeast Asia. Now grown in humid areas of Africa and Central America. Different types are used in cooking as a spice, in the production of essential oils, in perfumes and medicine. This tropical
herb looks like a bush of the sedge we know. But its nutritional and medicinal value is difficult to overestimate. Lemongrass (or lemon sorghum) is used as a seasoning, as a natural antidepressant and aphrodisiac. Tea is made from it in Africa, and maotai (an alcoholic beverage) is produced in China. Citronella is also drunk as tea and used as an antiseptic. Extracts of essential oil are added to mosquito candles. Palmorosa is used in perfumes and aromatherapy as a
sedative.
Genus of perennial tropical herbaceous plants Peanut
This is a well-known peanut. Refers to this. Legumes, includes 30 species. Origin - South America. Now it grows in Asia, Africa, in the Caucasus. Another name is peanut: its fruits ripen in the ground.
Peanuts are used as a food product, for the production of butter, as a component in traditional medicine. It has a choleretic and antisclerotic effect, normalizes the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, and liver. It has a positive effect on the brain, improves attention and memory. It is necessary to apply in moderation: peanuts have high calorie content, abuse is fraught with metabolic disorders.
Genus of perennial tropical herbaceous plants Bamboos
Bamboo is not even a genus, but a whole subfamily of
the Cereal family, which includes 1200 species. Among them, there are many familiar to us wood bamboos that are used in construction, applied art, in the manufacture of household items, etc. There are others that do not turn into a woody state. The latter grow only in the tropics, while lignifying species survive in more severe conditions.
In addition to production purposes, bamboo is used as food (young shoots and seeds), used in oriental medicine: it is a plant with a high content of silicon oxides, useful for hair, bones, and skin.
Cultivated bamboo is grown in Chinese gardens for decorative purposes and as a hedge. Some species take root in Russian suburban areas.
Genus of perennial tropical herbaceous plants Vanilla
Another “tasty” plant - vanilla - belongs to the Orchidaceae family and includes about a hundred species. This is a liana with beautiful yellow flowers. Seeds of three types have been used since ancient times as a spice.
Place of Origin - Central America. Now vanilla is growing in other countries with a warm, humid climate: about three quarters of world production falls on Madagascar, Indonesia and China.
According to the conquistadors, the Aztecs used vanilla for medical purposes. Nowadays, vanilla is mainly used in the food industry, from which, unfortunately, it is gradually replaced by artificial vanilla, since its production is much cheaper.
Like most orchids, Vanilla takes root well at home and will be a wonderful decoration for those who prefer tropical indoor plants.