Discussion on Misunderstandings of Ethnobotany

Authors Huai Huyin; KHASBANGAN; Wang Yuhua; Luo Peng; Pei Shengji

Journal Chinese Bulletin of Botany , 2005,4:22

Abstract Ethnobotany involves study on the interrelations between man and plants in a given area, which concerns the plants of economic importance and cultural value and also areas of behavior and constructs of a society and the plant world. Ethnobotany is becoming an important subject in searching for new plant materials and approaches of sustainable use and conservation of plant resources. However, ethnobotany has not been given enough attention in China. Mis-understandings about ethnobotany are the main factors that limit the development of the field in China. Six pervasive misunderstandings (such as ethnobotany is meant only for study of the effects of minority groups on plants or to document the plant knowledge recorded in ancient books) in China are discussed in this paper in order to better understand the subject and take part in ethnobotanical research and the promotion of ethnobotany in China.