Ethnobotany of the mikirs of India

The Mikirs living in Karbi-Anglong district in northeastern India depend on the natural plant resources of their neighbouring forests for much of their food, all their medicine, and for other material cultural needs and recreation. They, of course, use many plants in their magico-religious ceremonies. The area has remained botanically and ethnobotanically unexplored until the recent studies were initiated in 1976. Many heretofore unknown or little-known uses of plants have been recorded. However, much remains to be learnt from this region regarding the use of plants for human welfare.     

Ethnobotany and the future of conservation

Ethnobotany is an interdisciplinary science, where botany meets anthropology in the study of traditional uses of native plants. Indigenous peoples know and use a great deal of the plant material around them, though this age-old body of information is now in danger of being lost. How can traditional knowledge and practices help modern conservation and ecology, and how can the possessors of this knowledge retain their rights?     

Ethnobotany of the wild Mexican Cucurbitaceae

This paper presents the results of a survey on the ethnobotany of the wild Mexican Cucurbitaceae. The sources of information were fieldwork in different regions of Mexico, as well as herbarium specimens and bibliographic references. A total of 34 wild species (26.5% of the 128 wild mexican species) of Cucurbitaceae are reported as used in 24 of the 32 states of Mexico. All of the species are called by one or more local names, and 23 are known by names in native languages. The uses comprise 12 categories, including human medicine (18), food (13), soap substitute (12), fodder (4), toy (3), drink (2), ornate (2), insecticide (1), animal medicine (1), handicrafts (2), container (1), and ceremonial (1), and some uses date back to pre-Hispanic and colonial times.

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Etnobotánica de Especies Mexicanas Silvestres de la Familia Cucurbitaceae

Resumen  Este artículo presenta los resultados de una investigatión etnobotánica de las especies mexicanas silvestres de la familia Cucurbitaceae. Las fuentes de informatión fueron el trabajo de campo en diferentes regiones de México, así como también ejemplares de herbario y referencias bibliográficas. Un total de 34 especies silvestres (26.5% de las 128 especies silvestres mexicanas) de Cucurbitaceae son reportadas como útiles en 24 de los 32 estados de México. Todas las especies son conocidas por uno o más nombres locales y 23 de ellas reciben nombres en lenguas nativas. Los usos registrados abarcan un total de doce categorías, incluyendo medicina humana (18), alimento (13), substituto de jabón (12), forraje (4), juguete (3), bebidas (2), ornato (2), insecticidas (1), medicina animal (1), artesanías (2), contenedores (1) y ceremonial (1), y algunos de los usos parecen remontarse a las épocas pre-Hispánica y colonial.

     

药用民族植物学及其研究进展

药用民族植物学是研究传统医药或民间医药中植物药及其相关内容的一门由多学科组成的交叉学科。随着科学界对传统医药知识认识的不断加深 ,药用民族植物学已经受到了世界范围内的普遍关注。本文从传统医药的概念、引起科学界对传统医药知识产生兴趣的原因、民族传统药物的特点、药用民族植物学在发达国家和发展中国家的研究状况等方面对药用民族植物学的研究进展作了综合评述。     

中国李的民族植物学

对我国李属资源的植物学形态、分布、品种、应用开发历史、民族文化等进行了论述.     

Ethnobotany of the funeral ceremony of the Torajanese

The various kinds of funeral ceremonies performed by the Torajanese of the South Central Celebes are described. The plants used in each of these ceremonies are enumerated and their ethnobotanical significance is noted.     

Ethnobotany in the Puuc,Yucatan

Ethnobotanical observations made in 4 weeks during the summer of 1970 are reported. Cooperation of a number of students participating in a University of Alabama summer class made the collection of information more complete, because the students lived in Ticul where many of the observations were made. Cultivation in this part of Yucatan is easily divided into the staple crops, corn, beans, squash, sometimes chili, jicama or sweet potato, grown in milpas and fruits and herbs grown in dooryard gardens. Milpas are usually cultivated for no more than two seasons before they are moved to a new area which has been fallowed for 7 to 10 years. This allows recovery of soil fertility in the very thin soils of the area. Dooryard gardens furnish items for the kitchen and, frequently, a surplus which can be sold for cash. Ticul market is the retail market of the area where both permanent and casual vendors sell produce and other items. The butchers and some of the vegetable and fruit vendors rent the same stall daily while many rural householders with only a small surplus sell a few items during Sunday market from a cloth spread on the ground. The local government fixes stall rental, settles disputes and assumes responsibility for market sanitation. Oxkutxcab market is a wholesale market, reportedly for the whole southern half of Yucatan. The butcher and a very few stall holders sell retail. Produce is largely offered by the basin, burlap bag or other quantity, but never by a single piece. Fruit was the principle commodity during the period of observation. Local government exercises the same control for the Oxkutxcab market as the Ticul government does. Commercial production in the area includes hennequen plantations, many of which are now abandoned, and fruit orchards. Among the local industries involving plant material are manufacturers of rope from hennequen fiber and hats from guano(Sabal mayarum) leaves.     

Ethnobotany of the genusCyphomandra (Solanaceae)

Plants of the genusCyphomandra (Solanaceae) have long been utilized for their edible fruits in their native Latin America. The best-known species is the domesticated tree tomato or tamarillo,Cyphomandra betacea. This species, popular as a raw or cooked fruit, is widely cultivated in Andean South America and is now dispersed worldwide in subtropical areas. Its origin and wild relatives are still unknown, but there are tentative reports of wild populations ofC. betacea in southern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. Wild species ofCyphomandra such asC. hartwegii, C. sibundoyensis, andC. cajanumensis also produce edible fruits. Other species ofCyphomandra are used in medicinal preparations and as dyes. This group of plants is of increasing economic importance and may have considerable potential for future exploitation.     

民族植物学认识的几个误区

民族植物学是研究一定地区的人群与植物界(包括所有在经济上、文化上和其他方面有重要价值的植物)之间的全面关系,同时也研究社会结构、行为和植物之间的相互作用.民族植物学在寻找新资源、探索植物资源可持续利用和保护途径中已经发挥了非常重要的作用.但民族植物学在我国的发展还相对滞后,其中对民族植物学在理解上存在的误区是导致民族植物学不为更多人所了解的主要因素之一.本文对容易导致对民族植物学产生误解的6个方面(包括"民族植物学就是研究少数民族利用植物的科学"、"民族植物学仅仅是文献考证的一门学科"、"民族植物学无定量方法"等)进行了初步分析,以期让更多的人了解民族植物学,参与到民族植物学研究中来.     

新疆药用乌头的民族植物学

本文对新疆乌头属药用植物在哈萨克民族中的应用进行调查,基本弄清乌头属的药用部位、民间药用方法,并对乌头属药用资源的开发应用进行探讨.     

Ethnobotany of the Fort Yukon Region,Alaska

Native plants of the Fort Yukon region, Alaska, were identified as to their medicinal, edible and material uses by the Gwich'in Athabaskan and Caucasian residents. Forty eight species or groups of native plants were identified as having some use predominantly as medicines (40%) and as food or beverage (56%). Their value in past and present Gwich ’in culture is discussed.     

槟榔（Areca catechu L.）的民族植物学

本文从民族植物学的观点介绍了我国南方各省嚼槟榔的习俗、历史及演变,分析了这个习俗的形成原因及槟榔的药用价值。作者认为咀嚼槟榔有成瘾性,但是否对人的中枢神经系统有损害,必须进一步研究。作者对这种习俗提出了几点看法和建议,对槟榔的开发利用有重要参考价值。     

民族植物学定量研究中的取样方法

定量方法在民族植物学研究中越来越占有重要的地住,但民族植物学定量研究中有关取样方面还存在着一些不同的看法。笔者针对云南省金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县的拉祜族民间草医所使用的药用植物资源和草医对不同生境中药用植物的利用情况进行了取样,并以此对民族植物学中有关取样中存在的问题进行了讨论。结果表明不同生境中民族植物学的取样面积与植物生态学中的取样面积比较相近。所以在进行民族植物学野外取样时,司以针对具体的生境和植被特点来借用植物生态学中对该类生境或植被所采用的最小取样面积。