Salicylate, A New Plant Hormone

Abstract

Centuries ago, the American Indians and ancient Greeks independently discovered that the leaves and bark of the willow tree cured aches and fevers. It was not until 1828 that Johann Buchner, working in Munich, successfully isolated a tiny amount of salicin, the glucoside of salicyl alcohol, which was the major salicylate in willow bark (for review see ref.