MEDICINAL FLOWERS AT RISK

FOXGLOVE FLOWER

General Introduction

What kind of plant is it?

• Genus: Digitalis
• Species: Purpurea
• Biennial: takes two years to grow from seed to fruition and die.

How was it discovered?

• In the 1700s, William Withering observed the successful use of an herbal mixture to treat edema and other diseases in the countryside.
• ONE plant from the mixture was selected as the probable source of activity.
• Contains digitoxin, digoxin, and other cardiac glycosides that affect the heart.

Structure

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Where are they found??

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• Foxglove plants are very easy to grow due to the fact that they can grow in several different conditions.
• They can grow in sunny habitats or areas with shade and dry soil or moist soil but can't grow under extreme conditions.

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• They thrive best in partially shaded areas with light dry soil that are nitrogen rich or areas that have recently been disturbed, for example by fires or woodland clearing.
• They can grow in a wide range of temperatures, temperatures ranging as low as -25˚c.

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• Due do this toleration of cold temperatures, the foxglove can easily colonize wild habitats like the temperate woodlands, open woods, hedge banks, sea cliffs, dry hilly pastures, and rocky mountain slopes

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• Foxglove is native to European countries including Britain, Norway, and Spain, it can also be found in parts of the United States of America and some parts of Canada.

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Treatments by Digitalis purpurea

How is it used?

• Helps treat fluid accumulation
• Foxglove helps the heart muscles contract, reduces the frequency of heartbeats, and lowers the amount of oxygen the heart needs to work.

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• Atrial fibrillation Treatments
• Heart failure Treatments
• Congestive heart failure (CHF) Treatments

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However, there is just one problem...

The Medicinal Risks

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• No Foxglove = No Digoxin
• Survival rate of heart patients might decrease
• No new discoveries regarding Foxglove Flower
• The variety of medicines might decrease
• The increase in viruses, bacteria etc.

Environmental Risks

We're destroying their habitat

• The species is vulnerable to road widening and road and rail maintenance works, such as grading and clearing, and soil compaction by vehicle movement.

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• Soil Pollution: Toxicity-decreased fertility.
• Deforestation
• Natural disasters and their impact on all aspects of the environment.
• Intensive farming, irrigation, overgrazing, methane emissions and monoculture.

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• Waste disposal
• Climate change and issues related to global warming

They're pollinated by bumble bees

• Foxgloves have adapted to pollination by bumble bees.
• “Four of our bumblebee species declined 96 percent in the last 20 years, and three species are believed to already be extinct.”

Social Risks

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• The growth of human population
• The increase in diseases
• The change in ideas of different religious groups
• The increase of heart patients

Technological risks

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• GMO'S
• The increase in constructional work
• The increase in chemical testing
• more technology = less biodiversity

How Can We Solve It?

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• Spread the word
• Reduce carbon footprint
• Reduce chemical usage on plants
• Stop disposing
• Plant more, cut less
• Stop destroying and start enjoying
• DON'T GIVE UP!

https://youtu.be/yvdfqrnvu6Q

Citations

• http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/f/foxglo30.html
• http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/digitalis-purpurea-com...
• http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/Foxglove.htm

Citations

• http://www.canterburynature.org/species/lincoln_essays/foxglove.php http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Digitalis%20purpurea http://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/biodiversity/opinion/medicinal-plants-fa... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7196702.stm https://www.unitedplantsavers.org/images/pdf/169-741-2-PB.pdf http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earth Medicinal-plants-at-risk-of-extinction.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24559821