The Indian Date

Tamarindus indica (Tamarind)

The Tamarind tree is little known in the west, but common in Africa and Asia. It name comes from the Arabic and Hebrew words tamar , which means "date", and hind, which means "India". Its fruit can be eaten, turned into a drink, or used to flavor ice cream. Both its fruit and bark are used in traditional medicines and modern studies have shown that they contain chemicals that can work as anitibiotics. In Asian temples, the fruit pulp is used to polish brass Buddhas.

Marijuana's tough cousin (or, A Very Strong Weed)

Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa (hemp)

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa) has been cultivated for thousands of years. Its stalks yield high quality fibers which are used in ropes, clothing, paper, and sails. The word "canvas" is derived from the Latin name cannabis. Of course many of us are more familiar with hemp's very close cousin, Cannabis sativa L. subsp. indica, better known as marijuana. Hemp and marijuana are essentially the same plant, with the former having been bred for strong fibers, while the latter was bred for high THC content. Marijuana yields low quality fibers, while you'd have to smoke kilograms of hemp to get a high.

Yew and cancer

Taxus brevifolia (Pacific Yew)

The Pacific Yew is a conifer found primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Its thin scaly back would probably go unnoticed if not for the fact that it contains a chemical called paclitaxel, or more commonly known as the chemotherapy drug Taxol. Taxol was discovered in the mid 1960s as part of a large-scale program to identify natural products which might be used against cancer. In 1992 Taxol was approved by the FDA for use in fighting breast, ovarian and lung (and a few other) cancers. This is a prime example of how a deep knowledge of biodiversity can lead to incredibly important applications.