Ethnobotany

Ethnobotany

Ethnobotany is the study of a region’s plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of the local culture of people. The term Ethnobotany was coined by J.W. Harshberger in 1895 to include the study of plants used by the primitive and aboriginal people. Though this discipline has existed for ages, ethnobotany emerged as a distinct academic branch of natural science in 20th century.

Aspects of ethnobotany

Ethnobotany has relevance with problems of nutrition, health care and life support system, faith in plants, cottage industries, economic upliftment, conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of plant resources.

Importance of Ethnobotany

·                 It provides traditional uses of plant.

·                 It gives information about certain unknown and known useful plants.

·                 The ethnomedicinal data will serve as a useful source of information for the chemists, pharmacologists and practitioners of herbal medicine.

·                 Tribal communities utilize ethnomedicinal plant parts like bark, stem, roots, leaves, flower bud, flowers, fruits, seeds, oils, resins, dyes, gum for the treatment of diseases like diarrhoea, fever, headache, diabetes, jaundice, snakebites, leprosy, etc.