2. Ethnobotany is the study of a region's plants and their practical uses
through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people
The term ethnobotany comes from the Greek: ethno-cultural groups of
people, - ology- the study of, and botany- the study of plants.
Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist
between people and plants. It does not just describe the use of plants
but locates plants within their cultural context in particular societies,
and situates peoples within their ecological contexts.
Richard Evans Schultes (SHULL-tees; January 12, 1915 – April 10, 2001)
was an American biologist, considered to be the father of modern
ethnobotany
Dr. Sudhanshu Kumar Jain is well known as the 'Father of Indian
Ethnobotany'
Introduction
4. History
The term “ethnobotany” was created in
1895 by the botanist Harsherberg. He
defined it as “the use of plants by
primitive and aboriginal peoples”. In 1941,
Jones defined it as “the interrelationships
of primitive men and plants”
5. AccordingtoR.RRao
The man-plant relationship can be broadly classified into two categories,
(a). Abstract Relationships: Includes faith in the good and bad powers of plants,
taboos, avoidances, sacred plants, worship and folklore.
(b). Concrete Relationships: Includes mainly the material use such as in food,
medicine, house building, agricultural operation, other domestic uses, plants
in fine arts, and culture and acts of domestication, conservation,
improvement, and destruction of plants.
Jain (1989) gave a brief description about all relationship between man and plants
can be first divided into material and cultural relations, and placed in four
categories:
Relationship useful to both man and plants [+/+].
Relationship useful to man but harmful to plants [+/-].
Relationships useful to plants but harmful to man [-/+].
Relationship harmful to both man and plants [-/-].
6. Significance
Integrated tribal development. It provides information regarding traditional
uses of plant wealth which can be utilized in integrated tribal development.
1.
As a source of Information of herbal medicines for detection used in modern
medicine.
2.
Prevent loss of traditional knowledge due to impact of modernization.
3.
Reduces time taken for the development of new medicines.
4.
Domestication of new food plants.
5.
Natural treatment of various diseases.
6.
Conservation and sustainable utilization of Biodiversity.
7.
7. In October, 2015, Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded for
discoveries that have led to the development of potent new drugs
against parasitic diseases including Malaria and Elephantiasis.
Youyou Tu, China’s first Nobel Laureate in medicine was awarded half
of the prize for discovering Artemisinin a drug that has slashed
malaria deaths and become the maninstay in fight against this
mosquito-born disease. Tu, used Traditional Chinese Medicine
formulations from the plant Artemisia annua to isolate Artemisinin.
This award has put the spotlight on the role of both medicinal plants
and traditional Chinese medicine in providing an important source of
modern medicines. While the majority of Artemisia annua is now
sourced from cultivation-predominantly in Asia and Africaand a
switch to synthetically produced active ingredients is expected to
reduce reliance on wildsourced material. Conservation of wild
populations remains important for ensuring continuous production of
important drug.
Artemisinin has saved possibly millions of lives
YouyouTu
9. BRANCHESOF
ETHNOBOTANY
ETHNO ALGOLOGY-
Deals with
ethnobotanical study
of algae.
01.
ETHNO MYCOLOGY-
Deals with the use of
fungi as food,
medicine, etc by
human societies.
02.
ETHNO BRYOLOGY-
Deals with study of
bryophytes.
03.
ETHNO
PTERIDOLOGY-Deals
with ethnobotanical
study of
pteridophytes.
04.
ETHNO
LICHENOLOGY-
Deals with
ethnobotanical
study of lichens
05.
10. Plants, People & Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany-MJ Balick
Native American Ethnobotany-Denial E. Moerman
Ethnobotany: A Reader-Paul E, Minnis
Chumas Ethnobotany: Plant Knowledge among the Chumas People of South
California- Jan Timbrook
Ethnobotany: The Evolution of a Discipline-RE Schultes & SV Reis
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
References
![Conceptof
ethanobotanyandits
ethnicuses
By-VaishanviSrivastava
M.SCBOT[REG]
2310014165023](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/vaishnavis-ethanobotany-240420222208-ec257a08/85/DETAILS-OF-Ethnobotany-THAT-CAN-BE-USED-ASTHE-KEY-FEATURE-INSIDE-THE-1-320.jpg)
