Some Herbs On Edge of Extinction 37366

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 inEndangered Species (CITES). The delegates also noted that to counteract the trend,governments and scientists have implemented restrictions and even bans on plants forinternational trade.

Fourteen plant species are already regulated and six more are being considered. Theyinclude Asian ginseng; China's happytree and cistanche; African devil's claw; SouthAmerican monkey puzzle tree; and Adonis, an herb that grows in grasslands from CentralEurope to Siberia.

"When you see something in the shop, don't assume that buying it is of noconsequence to the environment," said Susan Lieberman, head of the office ofscientific authority at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information, visit www.un.org.