Some Herbs On Edge of Extinction

NAIROBI--Certain plants used for herbal remedies may be on the edge of extinction, according to delegates to the United Nations Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The delegates also noted that to counteract the trend, governments and scientists have implemented restrictions and even bans on plants for international trade.

Fourteen plant species are already regulated and six more are being considered. They include Asian ginseng; China's happytree and cistanche; African devil's claw; South American monkey puzzle tree; and Adonis an herb that grows in grasslands from Central Europe to Siberia.

"When you see something in the shop, don't assume that buying it is of no consequence to the environment," said Susan Lieberman, head of the office of scientific authority at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information, visit www.un.org.