What is ethnobotany?
John Harshberger coined the term “ethnobotany” which he defined as the study of “plants used by primitive and aboriginal people.” In 1896, he published the term and suggested that “ethnobotany” be a field which elucidates the “cultural position of the tribes who used the plants for food, shelter or clothing”. Until the turn of the 20th century, ethnobotany was primarily the study of native uses of plants. Since Harshberger, the definition of ethnobotany has changed and evolved along with the formation and evolution of the field. In 1978, Richard Ford, described a New Synthesis of ethnobotany and concluded that “Ethnobotany is the study of the direct interrelations between humans and plants”. Theoretically, direct contact with the vegetation of a region is encouraged and essential in order for researchers to fully comprehend the flora of a small geographic area. Ecological relationships within the plant community are central to these studies as well as the larger plant/human relationshi
