For example, as recently as the 1980s, the plant
rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) gave rise to two important drugs, vinblastine and vincristine, which are used to treat Hodgkin's disease and childhood leukemia, respectively.
For example, willow tree bark contains salicylic acid, aspirin's active agent; cinchona bark has malaria-fighting quinine; foxglove digitalis treats congestive heart failure;
rosy periwinkle has leukemia-fighting chemicals; and the evergreen ephedra is commonly used in decongestants.