List of domesticated plants
This is a list of plants that have been domesticated by humans.
The list includes species or larger formal and informal botanical categories that include at least some domesticated individuals.
To be considered domesticated, a population of plants must have their behavior, life cycle, or appearance significantly altered as a result of being under humans control for multiple generations. (Please see the main article on domestication for more information.)
Plants in this list are organized by the original or primary purpose for which they were domesticated. When a plant has more than one significant human use, it has been listed in more than one category.
Food and cooking
Main article:
List of Fruits
Main article:
Nut (fruit)
Other
- 103+ domesticated plant species in the Amazon, including sapodilla, calabash, tucuma, babacu, acai, wild pineapple, cocopalm, American-oil palm, Panama-hat palm, peach palm (Bactris gasipaes), ice-cream bean,
- Banana
- Breadfruit
- Durian
- Ensete
- Fig
- Jackfruit
- Papaya
- Passionfruit
Cereals (or grains, also called "corn plants" in the UK)
- Barley
- Finger Millet
- Fonio
- Foxtail Millet
- Little barley (Hordeum pusillum, central US pre-Columbian)
- Maize (called corn in the U.S.). Old domesticated plant, found in countless variations throughout the Americas.
- Maygrass (Phalaris caroliniana, central US pre-Columbian)
- Pearl Millet (predominantly in African cultures, also for beer brewing)
- Proso Millet
- Oats
- Rice The chief crop in eastern Asia, and an important foodstuff around the world.
- Rye (used in Eastern Europe Countries, and for alcoholic beverages)
- Sorghum
- Spelt
- Teff -- Ethiopia (also tef)
- Triticale (Secalotriticum spp.) Hybrids between wheat and rye.
- Wheat (called corn in the UK, esp. England). Has a very long history of domestication and is thought to be one of the first plants used for farming.
Sweet small-plant fruits (berries)
Aggregated drupelet "berries"
Other
Non-sweet small-plant fruits ("vegetables")
Main article:
Root Vegetable
Oil producing plants (for cooking)
Main article:
Vegetable Oils
- Olive
- Legumes grown principally for oil production
Commodities
- Plants grown principally for animal food or soil enrichment
- Oil producing plants (for fuel or lubrication)
- Drug plants
- Fiber plants (for textiles)
- Research and science
Ornamental plants
References
- Heiser, C. B. (1990). Seed to civilization: the story of food. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
- Simpson, B.B.; Conner-Ogorzaly, M. (2000). Economic botany: plants in our world. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
- Vaughan, J. G.; C. A. Geissler (1997). The new Oxford book of food plants. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
See also