Objective The objective of this project is to identify, classify and determine the current and potential structure of use of Venezuelan wild plants which are or could be economicallyimportant. The plants collected for study come from forests of different kinds, savannas, the mountains or from the coastline. Where possible entire plants are collected but for trees and shrubs only the useful parts, such as leaves, barks flowers, fruits, seeds, roots, or rhizomes are collected. The methods used are principally those of anatomical studies. Permanent slides are prepared to study the tissues under the microscope. With different reagents, oily substances, cutline, suberin, cork, starch, lignin, slime, etc are identified. Photographs are taken of the microscope images and also of the entire plant in its natural habitat. The outer habit of the plant is described as well as the inner structure as seen under the microscope. The majority of tropical wild plants are useful to a certain degree, although only wood is currently of economic importance. The economic use of tropical wild plants embraces the following: foodstuffs, animal fodder, oils and fats, gum and resin, fibres, perfumes, stimulants, and as a source of drugs. More than a thousand medicinal plants are known in Venezuela. There is an immense variety of tropical wild plants in Venezuela and elsewhere in South America which could be used for different purposes. Many of them could be cultivated. However, to obtain a knowledge of these plants and their uses, an intensive study is necessary. The study is also urgent as more and more of the indigenous flora is destroyed by projects of urban development, burning and clearance. Programme(s) IC-ISC C - Activity (Euratom, EEC) on cooperation in science and technology, 1984- Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURG EU contribution No data Address Fahnenbergplatz 79085 FREIBURG (IN BREISGAU) Germany See on map Total cost No data Participants (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Universidad Central de Venezuela Venezuela EU contribution No data Address Zona Rental Plaza Venezuela 1020 Caracas See on map Total cost No data