herbs

" The word herb comes from the Latin ""herba"" meaning grass, green stalks, or blades. Herbs are technically defined as non-woody, vascular plants, i.e. relatively soft plants, with specialized systems of vessels for conducting water and nutrients. Herbs are usually leafy and locally grown. More commonly, herbs refer to various often aromatic plants used especially in medicine or seasoning. The worldwide herbal industry is now estimated at more than $10 billion. The largest markets for herbal medicines, both in terms of manufacturing and consumption, are in Europe, followed by China and Japan. The world production and processing of medicinal herbs and spices remains concentrated in Europe, in particular France, as well as in a number of Asian countries. However, the North American market continues to be supplied by traditional sources in Europe and Asia. At the end of 1999, there were 107 Chinese herbal medicine producers with the annual sales of 28 varieties of herbal medicine, each amounting to as much as 100 million yuan. Herb prices tend to be relatively variable predominantly because of fluctuating supplies. Also, because of a limited number of alternative uses for herbs, marketing excess production can be difficult. Producers without contracts for herbs may have to store production for an extended time. Some herbs have relatively short ""shelf lives"" which can make extended storage costly. "