[MPWG] Magnolia bark

[Jean Giblette]

It's also very important to recognize that Magnolia officinalis Rehd.  
& Wils. is gone from the wild in China due to the demand for its  
bark, Hou Po, in traditional medicine.  Classified as an aromatic  
herb that transforms dampness, Hou Po is used in many formulas for  
various purposes.  The tree is slow-growing and cultivated on  
plantations in China.

 From a conservationist's point of view, this news is bittersweet.   
We want recognition of the value of medicinal plants, but only if  
that value can be realized in full context.  In this case, the  
context includes both the genetic diversity of the source species AND  
the knowledge that Hou Po is "good for" a lot more than full-spectrum  
antibiotic activity.  Let's try to avoid the possibility for more  
bark-stripping of wild trees.

Jean Giblette, Director
HIGH FALLS GARDENS
Box 125 Philmont NY 12565
518-672-7365, hfg at capital.net
www.highfallsgardens.net



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.plantconservation.org/pipermail/mpwg_lists.plantconservation.org/attachments/20071121/fa757b6d/attachment.html>