Studies in Ethnobotany Focus on Traditional Plant Applications and Indigenous Wisdom

Abstract

Ethnobotany is a subfield of botany that studies the relationships between traditional societies and the plants in their environments. In its widest sense, ethnobotany is the study of how plants have shaped the worldviews and historical narratives of indigenous peoples, as well as how these people evaluate the efficacy of modern scientific knowledge. Ethnobotanical research may provide light on the complex relationships between plants and indigenous peoples, both in the past and the present. While modern society may look down on our ancestors as primitive and barbaric, they really helped us advance by teaching us how to utilize plants for food, medicine, chemicals, colors, wood products, textiles, and so on. As this study progressed, it became abundantly evident that the vast body of past studies on rural and tribal medicines in North Eastern India had just scratched the surface. There is still plenty to do and write down before it's all gone forever. Interviews and on-location observations were used extensively in this study's investigation. The information on medicinal plants and interview notes were written down in field notebooks. Traditional plant knowledge and the usage of curative wild herbs by the Marakwet people were the focus of a study. As a result of interviews with traditional healers and community people, a list of the plants' traditional names was developed. As much as sixty percent of plant names are same, it is clear that traditional names for medicinal plants are vanishing. Nearly all locals (94.8 percent) knew which traditional medicinal herbs were best for treating stomach problems, followed by diarrhea (70.7 percent), chest discomfort (65.5 percent), and typhoid (63.3 percent). Locals have a low knowledge index (23.6%) of curative plants, according to traditional healers.