Tropical Rainforest Trees & Plants

• Many medicines have been developed from tropical rainforest plants. Don Smith/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Tropical rainforest trees and plants are essential to humankind. Rainforest plants supply over 25 percent of the medicines we use, as well as 40 percent of the world's oxygen. Medicines used during surgical procedures, medicines used to treat malaria and drugs used to combat certain kinds of cancer all come from tropical rainforest trees and plants. The largest tropical rainforest regions, containing half of the world's plant species, are in the Americas, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Rosy Periwinkle

• The rosy periwinkle is native to the tropical rainforests of Madagascar. This plant looks similar to common garden periwinkles, with five white to red petals and pink centers. However, the Madagascar rosy periwinkle supplies two very important drugs -- vincristine and vinblastine -- that are used to treat Hodgkin's disease and lymphocytic leukemia, respectively. This perennial grows to 18 inches tall and can be grown in the United States in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 10 to 11.

Tualang Tree

• The world's largest honeybees, the Asian rock bees, make their home in Southeast Asia's stately tualang tree. The tualang tree grows in the tropical rainforest and can reach 250 feet tall. It is known mostly for the large, ornate honeycombs of the Asian rock bees. These honeycombs are 6 feet across and contain up to 30,000 bees. Each tree can hold as many as 100 honeycombs. The slippery bark of the tree prevents the local sun bears from climbing the trunks to ravish the honeycombs.

Curare

• Curare is a vine with large, heart-shaped leaves that grows in the tropical rainforests of South America. South America's Indians use the roots and stems, along with venomous snakes and other plants, to make a poison to use on their darts and arrows. In fact, the name "curare" comes from an Indian word meaning "poison." In the United States, a derivative of the curare plant is used during surgery to temporarily paralyze muscles. In large doses, an injection of curare is fatal. Ingestion of curare is harmless, as the drug must enter the blood stream to be effective.