Ethnobotany: Principles and Applications

Softcover

ISBN 10: 047195537X ISBN 13: 9780471955375

Publisher: Wiley, 1996

Interest in ethnobotany has increased dramatically in recent years. The search for new medicines by the pharmaceutical industry has turned to plant natural products and to ethnobotanical studies as a first step in bioprospecting. These studies are making a valuable contribution to the cataloguing of biological diversity and hence to the conservation of endangered ecosystems and the human societies which depend upon them. Discussing traditional methods of plant management as well as plant use, this textbook is an authoritative and fascinating introduction to this exciting area of plant biology. Citing examples from throughout the world and drawing on a wide range of source materials, the author describes the history of the interactions between plants and people and the concepts, methodology and future direction of ethnobotanical study. Capturing current interest in traditional medicine, as well as the potential for exciting new drug discoveries, Ethnobotany: Principles and Applications is an informative, stimulating and timely text which includes an extensive bibliography.

From the Publisher:

C. M. Cotton concentrates on the concept of ethnobotany, offering a timely text covering the history of interactions between plants and people. Current trends are now focusing on traditional and herbal medicine worldwide but, despite the recent increase in the study of ethnobotany, there are as yet no introductory texts to this exciting area of plant biology. Summarising current innovations in plant use, giving an overview of the disciplines involved and the current methods of study available, Ethnobotany caters to this need.