Bioprospecting is the exploration of natural sources for small molecules, macromolecules and biochemical and genetic information that could be developed into commercially valuable products for the agricultural, aquaculture, bioremediation, cosmetics, nanotechnology, or pharmaceutical industries. In the pharmaceutical industry, for example, almost one third of all small-molecule drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1981 and 2014 were either natural products or compounds derived from natural products.
Campsis radicans, the trumpet vine, yellow trumpet vine, or trumpet creeper, is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae, native to the eastern United States, and naturalized elsewhere. Growing to 10 metres, it is a vigorous, deciduous woody vine, notable for its showy trumpet-shaped flowers. It inhabits woodlands and riverbanks, and is also a popular garden subject.
Apocynaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Members of the family are native to the European, Asian, African, Australian, and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members. The former family Asclepiadaceae is considered a subfamily of Apocynaceae and contains 348 genera. A list of Apocynaceae genera may be found here.
Hoodia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, native to Southern Africa.
Spartium junceum, known as Spanish broom, rush broom, or weaver's broom, it is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and the sole species in the genus Spartium. It is closely related to the other brooms.
Portulaca grandiflora is a succulent flowering plant in the family Portulacaceae, native to southern Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay and often cultivated in gardens. It has many common names, including rose moss, eleven o'clock, Mexican rose, moss rose, sun rose, rock rose, and moss-rose purslane.
Hoodia gordonii, also known as Bushman's hat, is a leafless spiny succulent plant supposed to have therapeutic properties in folk medicine. It grows naturally in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. The species became internationally known and threatened by collectors, after a marketing campaign falsely claimed that it was an appetite suppressant for weight loss. The flowers smell like rotten meat and are pollinated mainly by flies. The indigenous San people of the Namib desert call this plant ǁhoba – and the Afrikaans name ghaap is used to refer to all species of Hoodia.
Hoodia juttae is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is endemic to Namibia. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and cold desert. H. juttae is found around the Little and Great Karas mountains. It is threatened by collection. The plant was discovered by Jutta Dinter, the wife of botanist, Kurt Dinter in 1913. The scientific name refers to Jutta.
Hoodia ruschii is a species of stem succulent plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is endemic to Namibia. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and cold desert.
Hoodia triebneri is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is endemic to Namibia. Its natural habitat is rocky areas, especially underneath Acacia trees and below ridges.
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. It is a characteristic that is not used scientifically for the definition of most families and genera of plants because it often can be used as an accurate characteristic only at the single species level. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning 'juice', or 'sap'. Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems. The water content of some succulent organs can get up to 90–95%. Some definitions also include roots, thus geophytes that survive unfavorable periods by dying back to underground storage organs may be regarded as succulents. In horticultural use, the term succulent is sometimes used in a way that excludes plants that botanists would regard as succulents, such as cacti. Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking and unusual appearance, as well as their ability to thrive with relatively minimal care.
Limnocharis flava is a species of aquatic flowering plant which is native to Mexico, Central America, South America, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic but widely naturalized in southern and southeastern Asia: India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and southern China.
Crassula muscosa, synonyms Crassula lycopodioides and Crassula pseudolycopodioides, is a succulent plant native to South Africa and Namibia, belonging to the family of Crassulaceae and to the genus Crassula. It is a houseplant grown worldwide and commonly known as rattail crassula, watch chain, lizard's tail, zipper plant and princess pines.
The North-West University Botanical Garden on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU) is the only botanical garden in the North West Province of South Africa. The Garden spans just under three hectares and is open to the public.
Crassula ovata, commonly known as jade plant, lucky plant, money plant or money tree, is a succulent plant with small pink or white flowers that is native to the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, and Mozambique; it is common as a houseplant worldwide. Much of its popularity stems from the low levels of care needed; the jade plant requires little water and can survive in most indoor conditions. It is sometimes referred to as the money tree; however, Pachira aquatica also has this nickname.
Mitrophyllum is a genus of succulent plants of the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the arid region around the Richtersveld, on the border of South Africa and Namibia.
Hoodia alstonii is a succulent plant native to Namibia and the Cape Province of South Africa. H. alstonii is also known commonly as ghaap, an Afrikaans name. It tends to grow in rocky, desert areas.
Hoodia officinalis is a succulent plant native to Namibia and the Cape Province of South Africa. H. officinalis has two officially recognized subspecies, H. officinalis subsp. officinalis and subsp. delaetiana, which are identified mainly by their distribution. Subsp. delaetiana grows only in the Klinghardt Mountains and are larger than subsp. officinalis.
Hoodia macrantha is a succulent plant native to Namibia and the Cape Province of South Africa. It is regarded by some sources as a synonym of the accepted name for the plant, Hoodia currorii subsp. currorii.
Hoodia currorii is a succulent plant native to Namibia and the Cape Province of South Africa. It grows in desert areas and is common along the road from Karibib to Swakopmund in Namibia. It is also known as ghaap in the vernacular.
