The African violet is a popular house plant in the US, but endangered in its native habitat. Saving the highly-threatened wild versions requires establishing protected forests and conserving them the Noah's Ark way. That is, by taking a few to grow in protective gardens. The Mapuche Indians of mountainous central Chile weave baskets from the pliable stems of the plant, found only in their local forests. Botanists are saving selected plants by moving them to Britain.
Locals believe it treats everything from venereal disease to hangovers, though claims are unproven.
It's on the side of the road on an Indian Ocean island called Rodrigues and is protected by four fences. Yet, locals looking for a quick cure continually manage to snip cuttings from it. Its roots may have value in controlling diabetes. This fragrant cactus relies on moths for pollination. But because farmers kill moths to protect their crops, fewer than 150 plants likely remain.