HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 100 PLANTS

Plants give us food. They give us the air we breathe, direct the rain that falls and moderate the climate. They also give us shelter, beauty, comfort, meaning, buildings, boats, containers, musical instruments, medicines and religious symbols. We use flowers for love; we use them for death. Our past is all about plants, our present is all tied up with plants; and without plants there is no future. From the mighty oak to algae, from cotton to coca, here are a hundred examples of why plants matter.