It is reasonable to assume that at least 1000 plant species used in medicine today are threatened with extinction. Latin America, home of a third of the world's plants, also has a long-standing tradition of use of plants as medicine, especially among the indigenous peoples. R.E. Schultes found nearly 2000 species used in the Colombian Amazon for medicinal purposes. Tragically, this unique knowledge on plant diversity, of inestimable value to the world, is being lost at an alarming rate. The use of herbal remedies is booming in developed countries.
Consumers now have a smorgasbord of medical systems from which to chose.
The plants are all imported, often by mail order, adding to the pressure on wild stocks.