by Mildred Boyd

What if there were plants that produced glorious flowers, a wide variety of delicious food and drink, an awesome array of medicines, and two beautiful and color-fast dyes? What if this same plant flourished in areas hostile to most other life, provided a safe place for small birds to nest and, when planted as a hedge, provided a formidable defense against almost all predators?

Well, believe it or not, there is such a plant and it has a curious history. One might suppose so marvelous a specimen would only flourish deep in some lush jungle. Instead, this plant first appeared on the cold, arid upper slopes of the Andes, spreading from there to the equally arid deserts along the Pacific coast. Having adapted itself so well to the most inhospitable regions of South America, there was no stopping it until it had filled the desert areas of both continents.

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