WHAT ARE PLANTS USED FOR APART FROM FOOD?

Over thousands of years, human beings have found many uses for plants. Some of the most common ones are shown here.

Plants also provide us with fibres for making cloth, rope, paper etc. There are numerous dyes obtained from plants with which to colour our fabrics. Many plants have oil-rich seeds and these oils can be extracted when they have a variety of uses. Many of them are edible and they can also be used as lubricants, fuel, for lighting, in paints and varnishes, as a wood preservative, waterproofing etc.

The articles below highlight some of these uses.

  • Alternative Lighting: Plant Oils Waxes
  • Fibre Plants
  • Soap Plants
  • Vegetable Oil

Building Materials

  • Insulation: Providing insulation against extremes of temperature, sound or electricity.
  • Pipes: For carrying water etc.
  • Pitch: Used for waterproofing, in paints etc.
  • Plaster: Used for covering walls.
  • Roofing: Used to give a waterproof roof to buildings. See also Thatching.
  • Thatching Used for making thatched roofs.

Clothing
 

  • Buttons: Plants that can be used as buttons. Not including making buttons from wood.
  • Darning ball 
  • Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
  • Latex: A source of rubber.
  • Leather: Substitutes, that is.
  • Needles: Used for sewing, darning etc.
  • Pins: Used as needles and pins in sewing etc. Also used to lance boils, extract splinters from the skin etc.
  • Raffia: A substitute for that material.
  • Starch: Used as a fabric stiffener.
  • Stuffing: Used in making soft toys, mattresses, pillows etc.
  • Tannin: An astringent substance obtained from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
  • Weaving: Items such as grass and palm leaves that are woven together for making mats, baskets etc. See also Basket making and Fibre.

Dyes, paints, inks and paper

  • Blotting paper: Plant that can be used to make blotting paper.
  • Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
  • Ink: Plants that can be used as an ink.
  • Mordant: Used for making a dye more permanent, it also affects the colour of the dye.
  • Paint: Plants used directly as paint. Does not include oil plants and dyes that can be used as ingredients in paints.
  • Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.
  • Pencil: A couple of plants especially mentioned for making the tubes that pencil leads fit into.
  • Size: Used on materials, paper etc to give a surface that will take ink, dyes etc. 

Picture Credit : Google