Plants

The world's greatest lily The most enormous waterlily in the world, the giant Amazon lily grows leaves over 2.5m (8') across. Its 30cm (12") flowers have some of the most extraordinary habits found in the whole plant kingdom.
Chocolate: a sweet cure? Could eating chocolate each day keep the doctor away? An ancient remedy known to the Aztecs, chocolate is known to reduce blood cholesterol and help prevent heart disease - and the darker the chocolate the better!	Mystery potions from the angel's trumpet Extracts from the angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) have long been used by South American shamans to induce visionary dreams. Western science has recently identified the alkaloid responsible for causing the hallucinations.		Cancer cured by the rosy periwinkle The rosy periwinkle produces powerful alkaloids used to treat childhood leukaemia and Hodgkins' disease. Drugs developed from the plant have saved thousands of lives and made millions of dollars, but who gets the rewards for this natural bounty?
Poisonous silence: the dumb cane The dumb cane is a popular houseplant with a chequered history.		Safe sex starts with the wild yam The wild yam's human sex-hormone mimicing chemicals include Diosgenin, the basis of the modern birth control pill.

The world's greatest lily