Page 6 - Spring 2012 magazine-1_Neat

by Aaron Leifheit

Ask 100 people what they love about Red Rock Canyon and they
will give you 100 different answers. Some love the Rock for
hiking, geology or recreation; and some for photography, scenery
or bicycling. I’m willing to wager, however, that few people love
Red Rock Canyon for its medicine.

Despite this, the Rock is a literal medicine chest. Home to
approximately 800 different types of animals and 600 types of
plants, Red Rock is full of organisms that have long played
important roles in human lives.

Where do specific medicines
come from? Most reside in
plants, or specifically, in a
plant’s need to adapt. In order to
Mojave yucca survive difficult situations,
Yucca schidigera successful plants create specific
chemicals that help them flour-
ish.

Because vegetation grows very
slowly in a dry climate, desert
plants hate to be eaten. To avoid
being munched, some plants
create chemicals that discourage
pesky grazers, bacteria and
fungus. Such chemicals can also Sagebrush
kill bacteria in people, easing Artemisia tridentata
colds, flu and other illnesses.
These plants also fight infection in wounds.

A seed is a plant’s most valuable investment. At no time is a seed
more vulnerable than when it is just shed, lying bare on the
ground but not yet rooted or growing. In order to avoid drying
out in the baking sun, plants coat their seeds with protective oil,
which acts as a sunscreen of sorts. These plant-based oils are
Silktassel bush very healthy for humans (think flax seeds, olive oil or almonds)
Garrya flavescens

Page 6