commonly proud of their country, brazilians are always quick to offer insight on the global importance of their greatest natural treasure to anyone who asks - the world's largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest has only had a mere one fifth of its estimated 23,000 flower-bearing plant species identified to date. 

the plants' contribution to the outside world are crucial and biological material from the amazon has had a massive impact in medicine - about 25% of all active ingredients in cancer fighting drugs are derived from natural compounds found in the amazon, and medicines for malaria and high blood pressure have also been conceived from substances originating in the depths of the dense rainforest.