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While interest in land use in the prehistoric periods in Italy has received attention, that cannot be said of the Post-Medieval period. The general view is that all activities and objects from the last 300–500 years or so are so indecipherable from their contemporary counterparts and that there is no need to study them. There is, in fact, very little Post-Medieval archaeological work done in the south of Italy, which is the focus of this paper. The landscape of southern Calabria has changed radically over the centuries. The distribution of dense macchia forests was diminished in the late 18th and 19th centuries for building railroads and ships, and more recently, arson has been used as social or political revenge. The removal of the macchia led to erosional landscapes and the loss of archaeological footprints. This paper explores agricultural practices and forest exploitation in the early 19th and 20th centuries by the citizens of Bova to better understand the social and economic dynamics that continue to influence the lives of people living in the community. It utilizes cadastral records, archival documents from the early 1800–1900s, and spatial analysis to better understand the potential economic and social dynamics in this community. Consideration is also given to how social status and power, represented by Church-owned vs. lay citizen-owned properties, was reflected in local land use. The overall paucity of archaeological materials from this period across the landscape supports and complicates the overall picture while also supporting an interpretation of a very local and insular community poorly integrated into the greater Italian economy of the day.

This paper presents research on the dispersal of objects from the Museum of Economic Botany at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (rbgk) from 1847 to 1914. Established by William Hooker, the museum received thousands of objects from around the world, the display of which was designed to illustrate plants’ properties and economic potential. The paper argues that the conventional focus in museum studies on processes of acquisition and accumulation captures only one side of collections’ history. Drawing on research in archives and collections at Kew and elsewhere, we highlight the redistribution of specimens and artefacts from Kew’s museum through a variety of channels. We focus on three modes of circulation: firstly, Kew’s role as a clearing house for collections; secondly the exchange of objects; and thirdly the distribution of specimens and artefacts to schools across the British Isles, a practice which became prevalent towards the end of the period.

With an adequate technology, the Romanian Government mechanically harvests 125,000 tons of dry marsh grass (Phragmites communis Trinius) annually from the vast reedlands of the Danube Delta which, when processed, yield up to 60% in unbleached pulp. The reed pulp is mixed with wood pulp in the production of fabricated paper. At $85.00 per ton of reed raw material, the reed pulp industry amounts to over $10 million annual revenue.

The paper provides information on traditional knowledge of plants used by fringe forest communities of village Lwali (District Pauri Garhwal). The paper deals with 35 plant species belonging to 34 genera of 29 families, that find mention in the local folklore. The plants have been provided with botanical names, vernacular names, parts used and ethnobotanical uses.

Jute fibre is the world’s principal material in manufacturinǵ coarse textile for conversion into sackinǵ and canvas. It enters also into the production of upholstery, ruǵs, carpets and roofinǵ fabrics. Secondary products are food from its tender shoots, medicines from its dried leaves, fuel and paper from its stems, and oil from its seeds.

The annual processing of citrus fruit wastes in the United States has reached two million tons. Forty thousand tons of pectin could be produced, compared with current production of three thousand tons. The physical and chemical properties of pectic substances are important botanically and industrially. Pectic substances aid in maintaining texture of fruits and vegetables and serve as jellying agents in preserves. The availability of increasing amounts of citrus wastes, combined with improvements in manufacturing techniques and new uses, promises expansion of industries concerned with pectin production and utilization.

Ethnobotany is the study of plants used, conserved and managed by the local people. It deals with local people knowledge of a particular use of plants in gastronomical, medical, religious, and other purposes. Ethnobotany is a rapidly growing scientific topic and it is predominantly linked to economic botany: on the one hand to determine the potential economic value of various plants and, on the other, to make a link with a relatively new aspect of sustainable tourism market. The culture and heritage of destinations are significant pull-factors in attracting domestic and international tourists. Sustainable tourism phenomenon today and in the near future is in the direction of the assumption that the relevant destination contains gastronomic culture. In recent years, different studies have been conducted in terms of collecting as much information as possible about the relationship between traditional use of edible plant species with gastronomic offer and the increase of sustainable tourism development. The traditional food and local plant resources of a particular interest for sustainable tourism activities in Mudurnu were investigated in this paper. Mudurnu was preferred for this study because of its rich natural, historical and cultural resources which contain as main parts of ecotourism supply. To reach the objective of this study, some interviews were utilized on a key important people and local people living in villages. In this study, special attention was paid to the use of traditional ethnobotany knowledge in local gastronomy and its effect to sustainable tourism development.

Received: 2016-08-07 | Accepted: 2016-09-13 | Available online: 2017-09-30 http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/afz.2017.20.03.60-65 This paper quantifies the diversity of natural and artificial allochthonous materials in bee pollen pellets and assesses their impact on potential applications. Bee products used in medicine, pharmacology and food products contain honey bee wax, propolis and flower pollens, and bee pollen pellet composition is dependent on the flower’s locality and methods used in technological preparation and storage. The quality of commercially available pollen and its positive and negative mode-of-actions are significantly influenced by natural and artificial allochthonous substances. The flower pollen pellets for this study were obtained from the Levice district in the Slovak Republic and analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). These visual and chemical analyses confirmed; (i) 4 different botanical pollen species were present in the pellets, (ii) minimal harmful substances were detected; with bee fragments and dead fungal hyphae biomass noted, (iii) different types of soil particles/aggregates were adsorbed; mainly Fe, Si oxides, silicates and alumosilicates and (iv) analysis revealed one artificial Ti-Mn-Fe grain, but this was most likely a residue from technological processes. Determination of all hazardous substances is necessary for bee pollen to be widely commercially available as food nutritional and energy supplements, and this can be achieved by microscopic study and the wide range of current analytical techniques. Keywords: bee pollen, food sources, pollen pellets, soil particles, artificial contaminants References Almeida-Muradian, L.B. et al. (2005) Chemical composition and botanical evaluation of dried bee pollen pellets. In Journal of Food Composition and Analysis , vol. 18, pp. 105−111. 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(2004) The potential impact of soil ingestion on human mineral nutrition. In Science of The Total Environment , vol. 333, pp. 75−87. Kacaniova, M. et al. (2004) Microflora of the honeybee gastrointestinal tract. In Folia Microbiologica , vol., 49, no. 2, pp. 169−171. Kacaniova, M. et al. (2011) Mycobiota and mycotoxins in bee pollen collected from different areas of Slovakia. In Journal of Environmental Science and Health - Part B Pesticides, Food Contaminants, and Agricultural Wastes , vol. 46, pp. 623−629. Kim, H., Suh, D.W. and Kim, N.J. (2013) Fe-Al-Mn-C lightweight structural alloys: A review on the microstructures and mechanical properties. In Science and Technology of Advanced Materials , vol. 14, pp. 1−12. Klimko, M., Kluza, M. and Kreft, A. (2000) Morphology of pollen grains in three varieties of Helianthus annuus L. In Roczniki Akademii Rolniczej w Poznaniu CCCXXII Botanika , vol. 3, pp. 135−142. Knox, R.B. et al. (1997) Major grass pollen allergen Lol p 1 binds to diesel axhaust particles: Implications for asthma and air pollution. In Clinical and Experimental Allergy , vol. 27, pp. 246−251. Konvickova, Z. et al. (2016) Antimicrobial bionanocomposite–from precursors to the functional material in one simple step. In Journal of nanoparticle research, vol. 18, pp. 368. Kořenkova, L. et al. (2017) Physiological response of culture media-grown barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to titanium oxide nanoparticles. In Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica Section B: Soil and Plant Science , vol. 67, pp. 285−291. Lin, H., Gomez, I. and Meredith, J.C. (2013) Pollenkitt wetting mechanism enables species-specific tunable pollen adhesion. In Langmuir , vol. 29, pp. 3012−3023. Linskens, H.F. and Jorde, W. (1997) Pollen as food and medicine - A review. In Economic Botany , vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 78−86. Margaoan, R. et al. (2010) Bee collected pollen–General aspects and chemical composition. In Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. Animal Science and Biotechnologies , vol. 67, no. (1-2), pp. 254 −259. Miklos, L. et al. (2002) Landscape atlas of the Slovak Republic . Bratislava: Ministerstvo životneho prostredia SR. Nogueira, C. et al. (2012) Commercial bee pollen with different geographical origins: A comprehensive approach. In International Journal of Molecular Sciences , vol. 13, pp. 11173−11187. Ormstad, H., Johansen, B.V. and Gaarder, P.I. (1998) Airborne house dust particles and diesel exhaust particles as allergen carriers. In Clinical and Experimental Allergy , vol. 28, pp. 702−708. Punt, W. et al. (2007) Glossary of pollen and spore terminology. In Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology , vol. 143, pp. 1−81. Ruby, M.V. et al. (1999) Advances in evaluating the oral bioavailability of inorganics in soil for use in human health risk assessment. In Environmental Science and Technology , vol. 33, pp. 3697−3705. 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Sesbania is a genus in the family Leguminosae that has been widely used by people in tropical and subtropical regions, especially in Southeast Asia. Information about Sesbania uses and their characteristics such as chemical compounds were obtained from 233 papers, reports and books. We found evidence for 22 Sesbania species being used. They were used for human food (10 species), animal food (9), poisons (1), medicines (10), environments (8), materials (7), fuel (2) and social purposes (1). Sesbania grandiflora and S. sesban were used more than the other species. Sesbania grandiflora was the only species with uses in all categories. Sesbania sesban was used in six categories. Sesbania grandiflora had the highest number of use records in almost all categories, except for fuel in which S. sesban had more records. The aerial parts, especially the soft, young parts were consumed by both humans and animals. Some Sesbania species contained high amounts of proteins (41% of protein in S. javanica), vitamin C (145 mg/100 g in S. grandiflora) and high amounts of calcium (666 mg/100 g in S. grandiflora). Sesbania species have been used to treat 20 subcategories of human disorders, and also as veterinary medicines. Sesbania possessed 1-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2-hydroxy-N-pentadecanamide, 2-hydroxy-N-decanamide, betulinic acid, isovestitol, medicarpin, oleanolic acid 3-β-D-glucuronide, pinitol, saponin, sativan, sesbanimide, stigmasterol and triterpene acid 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside for which pharmacological properties had been tested. Sesbania also has cardioprotective, antidiabetic, antiurolithiatic, hypolipidemic, anticancer, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Sixteen microorganisms were found to be inhibited by Sesbania. Sesbania species are well-known for their use as green manures and seven species were recorded for this purpose. Sesbania also have properties that make them useful for pollution control. Regarding material uses, five Sesbania species were used for their fibers and Sesbania bispinosa was used in the production of fabrics. Besides the uses, Sesbania species also have other economic importance as weeds, pest host, and host for an economic plant. Eight species of Sesbania appear to have negative effects as weeds and pest-host and one species (Sesbania grandiflora) was the host for sandalwood. There was evidence that Sesbania could inhibit growth of animals and plants. Moreover, Sesbania seeds in too large doses are lethal to some animals. According to the vast advantages, the knowledge of Sesbania uses, including the safe dosages, should be passed on for the welfare of humans.

Organic agriculture projects have advanced biodiversity as a key goal and outcome of their methods, in part by encouraging non-chemical inputs and non-genetically modified seeds. In India, organic cotton agriculture has been marketed as a specific alternative to genetically modified cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), India's only legal GM crop. However, previous work has shown that the same production pressures that drive GM agriculture to lack biodiversity do not necessarily apply to Indian cotton farms. On organic farms in the Adilabad district of Telangana, India, organic farmers are growing nearly 100 semi-managed foods, trees, and medicines belonging to 37 botanical families. However, organic groups target farmers that may be more inclined to cultivate agrobiodiversity anyway. This paper draws on household surveys, field interviews, and ethnographic research among ethnic Gond farmers participating in a corporate organic program to suggest that such alternative agriculture schemes find ways to reward farmer...

Ethnobotany of Synandrospadix vermitoxicus (Araceae) in the Gran Chaco and neighbouring regions. Synandrospadix vermitoxicus is a native species of the Gran Chaco (Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina) and neighbouring regions. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted with the aim of summarising vernacular knowledge on the plant: common names, uses, its role in social and cultural life, as well as stressing the interest and value attached by human groups of the region. This paper is a summary of original data obtained in situ, in addition to those recorded in bibliographic sources. Oral information and herbarium material was collected during fieldwork carried out with eight ethnic groups, as well as with natives-criollos (local non-indigenous people) from Argentina and Paraguay. In order to contextualise the ethnobotanical information, brief references on the taxonomy, floristics, morphology, ecology, and phytonymy associated with this plant are added. Notes are also included on the plant’srole in different cultural settings: food, medicine, veterinary practice, magic, toxicology, mythology and witchcraft. Attention is drawn to the value of the plant for the ethnic peoples and settlers in the GranChaco and the interest it holds for them. The need to preserve it as natural and cultural heritage is also expressed.

Se presentan los resultados de una investigación etnobotánica que trata los tintes vegetales y fúngicos entre los indígenas wichí del Chaco Semiárido. Se realizaron trabajos de campo con informantes calificados y ocasionales de ambos sexos en localidades de las provincias argentinas de Salta y Formosa. Asimismo, se hizo una revisión minuciosa de la bibliografía vinculada con el tema. Se encontraron 24 especies de plantas y 2 de hongos que son usadas para colorear productos textiles realizados a partir de fibras de cháguar (Bromelia hieronymi y B. urbaniana). Se proporcionan informaciones y detalles sobre los nombres vernáculos de las especies, las partes usadas, los procedimientos de tinción y los colores logrados. El número total de plantas tintóreas encontrado es alto comparado con los que fueron citados para otras etnias chaquenses y se registraron especies que antes no fueron mencionadas como tintóreas entre los wichís.Dye plants and fungi among the Wichí people of the Gran Chaco. This paper presents the results of an ethnobotanical investigation into plant and fungal dyes used by the Wichí people of the Semiarid Chaco. Fieldwork was carried out with occasional and key informants, both men and women, in several locations of Salta and Formosa provinces in Argentina. Moreover, a detailed examination of the bibliography on the topic was conducted. Twenty-four plant species and two fungi that are used for coloring textile products made from cháguar fibers (Bromelia hieronymi and B. urbaniana) were found. Information and details on the vernacular names of the species, the parts that are used, the dying technique and the colors obtained are provided. The total number of dye plants found is high compared with the ones cited among other Chaco ethnic groups, and records were made of species that had not previously been mentioned among the Wichí people as being used for dyes.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue relevar las plantas usadas con fines terapéuticos por los habitantes de un sector costanero del Río de la Plata entre los balnearios Bagliardi y La Balandra. Se identificaron 36 especies utilizadas en la medicina popular, 10 de las cuales también se usan como condimento., In this paper the objective was to survey therapeutic plants used by the inhabitants in a coastal region located along Rio de la Plata and between the riverside resort of Bagliardi and La Balandra. Thirty six species used in folk medicine were recorded among them ten are also used as condiment., Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Laboratorio de Morfología Comparada de Espermatófitas

Research on agrobiodiversity points to the importance of home gardens in situ conservation, yet few studies to date explicate the origins and dynamics of plant species diversity. In this paper, we examine inter-household variations in cultivated plant species diversity among house gardens in a traditional peasant community, near Iquitos, Peru. In-depth household interviews (n = 24) and garden/field surveys reveal that home gardens are clearly the site of highest plant diversity in farmers’ field portfolios, and that substantial differences exist in garden composition, plant diversity, and the sources of garden planting material across households. Statistical analyses indicate that home garden diversity is related strongly to specific garden characteristics, household socioeconomic features, and access to planting material including seeds, cuttings, and suckers. The role and implications of differential access to planting material in the development and maintenance of crop species diversity is signaled as an important theme for future study in economic botany.

This paper represents a preliminary study of the botany, natural history and taxane chemistry of the Mexican yew, Taxus globosa Schltdl. Taxonomic history, morphological comparison to other North American species and ecological habitat are discussed. Chemical study involved leaf and twig material from forty-nine plants from three localities in Mexico. Levels of taxol, cephalomannine and baccatin III were determined by HPLC analysis. Intrapopulational variation was found to be very high while mean taxane levels for each of the three populations were very similar. The average percentage of taxol in leaves of T. globosa is higher than in all other species of Taxus (0.0121% dry wt.).

The native palm flora of Ecuador consists of 129 taxa, including at least 69 species used by rural people, 19 of which are exploited commercially. This paper integrates bioclimatic modeling of palm distribution and quantitative ranking through pair-wise comparisons of species as a tool to evaluate and map the importance of 14 taxa of commercially exploited palms in Ecuador based on criteria of harvest values, sustainability, vegetation cover and population density. The ranking procedure could find broad application within ethnobotany and economic botany. Results show that extraction of palm products, economically speaking, is most important in the heavily deforested and populated coastal lowland.

The edible fruits of Spondias purpurea are valued highly throughout the Ecuadorian coastal plain and Andes where they are cultivated. They are also exported to Colombia and Peru. The fruits are either eaten fresh or processed into various products such as marmalade, wine, and liquor, all with promising market potential. This paper describes the annual cultivation cycle including, propagation, harvest and processing, yields, and socioeconomic importance of the fruits. In 1995, the total volume of the harvest in Ambuqui, province of Imbabura, was 130 000 kg with an average yield of 3250 kg/ha. Gross earnings was 472 US$/ha. The net gain was 314 US$/ha which represents six times the official monthly minimum wage in Ecuador. Spondias purpurea can grow and develop normally on rocky substrates and other marginal soils of otherwise low agricultural value.

The Hispano-Arabic culture in the Iberian Middle Ages is a major chapter in the history of the use and knowledge of plants. The Andalusi agronomists, botanists and physicians assimilated their heritage of Iberian, Hispano-Roman, and Hispano-Visigothic cultures with North-African and Eastern influences. They developed a profound knowledge of the plant world and managed a high diversity of species. A part of this ethnobotanical and agronomic heritage was transmitted not only to the local cultures and generations that followed, but also to peoples on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean by the Spanish colonists in the New World. This paper presents a study of the principal works of the so-called Andalusi Agronomic School (10th-15th centuries) and their agronomist authors: Arib ben Said, Ibn Wafid, Ibn Hayyay, Abu l-Jayr, Ibn Bassal, al-Tignari, Ibn al-Awwam and Ibn Luyun. We also raise questions about Andalusi ethnobotany, the introduction of Oriental species in the Iberian Peninsula and the prospects for ethnobotanical research through the philological study of Hispano-Arabic writings.

The Case for Borojoa patinoi in the Choco Region, Colombia. Economic Botany 51(1): 39-48. 1997. The economic botany of the tree speciesBorojoa patinoi is presented after consulting all available literature and visiting the region.Borojoa patinoi is a noteworthy species in that it is endemic to the biogeographic Choco region, its fruits have high market value, and it is an understory tree, which means it can be cultivated without clearing the overstory trees. This paper reviews the literature on the taxonomy and phytogeography of the genus, as well as the production ecology of the species. Two net present value models are presented to analyze the species economically. From the models, we conclude that in many areas in the Choco, plantingB. patinoi trees is likely to be economically more competitive than planting commercial timber species. Furthermore, monocultures ofB. patinoi may not be the economically optimal production system. BesidesB. patinoi, some other Choco species with edible fruits are suggested for further research.

Tamangs, one of the ethnic tribes of Nepal, have a good association with plant resources they use for their existence. The paper provides a glimpse of medicobotany of this tribe. As many as 95 plant species, both wild and cultivated, representing 88 genera under 47 families, have been found to be of common use for the treatment of various ailments. Curculigo orchioides is the only plant representing the monocotyledons.

When erstwhile friends and colleagues urged me to talk on this occasion about editing, specifically editing of Economic Botany, I resisted on the grounds that there would be little interest, except on the part of a few aficionados. But on further reflection I was persuaded by several counter considerations: 1. Clearly, journals, or serials, as librarians are wont to style them, constitute a considerable part of our culture; indeed, they are the basis of a sizeable industry. I note in the Chronicle of Higher Education (Anonymous 1988) that some of our more renowned research universities receive over 90,000 serials. We are further told (Broad 1988) of that number some 40,000 are scientific journals. All in all not an insignificant aspect of science. 2. Economic Botany, now in its 42nd volume, along with the annual meetings with their research papers and symposia form the core of the activities of the Society for Economic Botany. The journal itself produces an annual income of approximately $80,000, which is available for its publication activities. 3. Under the circumstances, members of the Society deserve a full account of editorial activities-fuller than can be presented in our annual business meetings. They should learn something of the pleasures and the frustrations behind the azure quarterly that appears regularly on their desks. After all, at irregular intervals we seek another editor and thus we need to enlighten all prospects. And so I launch on these confessions, with apologies to DeQuincey. But first let me inform you what this paper is not going to be, as well as what it will include. This will not be an all-inclusive, or comprehensive, treatise on the preparation of scientific papers. We do not have the time nor is this the proper forum for such an encyclopedic endeavor. Besides we already have excellent publications of this kind, i.e., the rightfully renowned Chicago manual of style, the 13th edition of which appeared in 1982 (University of Chicago Press 1982) the useful CBE style manual (CBE Style Manual Committee 1983); Day's (1983) eminently readable and witty How to write and publish a scientific paper; and a host of other laudable guides. Instead of competing with these old standbys, I propose to select a few topics of interest to me, topics that may not even be the most important; indeed, some of the content may seem to be rather trivial, but I remind you that much of the editor's time is devoted to trivia. My account-whatever its meritsis based on my experience as editor of Economic Botany and as editor of the American Journal of Botany, plus an occasional and minor reference to other editorial or literary exposures. Involving the two journals will serve to broaden the base of the data pool-to use a current popular phrase-and will help to increase the desirable anonymity, for I have no wish to embarrass any individual.

Five papers cover different aspects of the contributions to and role of botany in the development of the Republic of South Africa. Two papers sum up the contributions for the non-agricultural and agricultural sectors. The introductory paper by D. J. B. Killick provides a short historical account of the Botanical Research Institute, followed by a discussion of the contributions of the Institute to botany in South Africa through its National Herbarium and identification service as well as researches in taxonomy, plant anatomy, cyto-genetics, ecology, economic botany and data processing. B. de Winter emphasizes the fundamental role of taxonomy and bio-systematics for planning and the optimal use of the natural plant resources. The current support for taxonomy and biosystematics is examined and proposals made for improving progress in the Flora of Southern Africa series. For plant physiology, N. Grobbelaar discusses, firstly, the ways whereby the productivity of a plant species with its characteristic genetic constitution can be raised by determining and modifying for optimal response the effects of environmental factors such as spacing, mineral nutrition, water provision, etc.; and, secondly, usually when the first means has been achieved, of improving plant productivity by altering the genetic constitution of the plant so that it can perform better than its ancestors under the prevailing conditions. After discussing and illustrating the applications and roles of plant ecology, D. Edwards concludes that basic plant ecological research is required, firstly, at the regional level through regional plant ecological studies to supply the essential local knowledge needed by researchers, planners and users of the land; and, secondly, at the more detailed level where knowledge is needed of the processes and factors that govern the behaviour of vegetation so that it can be properly used, managed and manipulated. M. J. Wells discusses the role of economic botanists for priority research assessment, and for research on problem plants, such as weeds, and on plants for food and other useful products, especially from the rich and untapped South African flora of over 17 000 species. The needs for an adequate base of primary botanical data are stressed, and for ethnobotanical work to assist exploration of plant uses. S. A. Hulme, in his summing up for the agricultural sector, points out that despite the emergence of the specialist agricultural disciplines, botanical research remains fundamental to the understanding of the plant. Following on the important contributions that botany has made to agriculture, there remain many important contributions to agriculture for the future through physiological and other botanical studies. In his summing up for the non-agricultural sector, D. M. Joubert illustrates the ways whereby the influence of the Botanical Research Institute and its co-operation with other institutes and organizations extends beyond the purely agricultural field to other national programmes involving terrestrial and inland water ecosystems, in plant alkaloid research, in nature conservation, etc.

During recent years a large number of articles have appeared in scientific periodicals, magazines and newspapers emphasizing the need for utilisation of various aquatic weeds, especially water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) (Boyd, 1970; Sharma, 1971; Rogers and Davis, 1972; Little, 1968; Bagnall et al., 1973; Varshney and Rzoska, 1976). The multiplicity of the publications and the interest in the subject is highlighted by the appearance of three papers in a single issue of Economic Botany (Boyd, 1976; Bates and Hentges, 1976; Wooten and Dodd, 1976). One of the latest publications is the report of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences entitled Making Aquatic Weeds Useful: Some Perspectives for Developing Countries (Anonymous, 1976). A reading of these accounts makes one feel that man has discovered new resources which may substitute hitherto known materials for such valuable needs as proteins for man, feed for animals, pulp for paper and above all fuel (as biogas). There is hardly any need that cannot be fulfilled by using aquatic weeds in place of traditional materials! This communication intends to record our views and serious reservations against the plea for utilisation of aquatic weeds on the basis of available literature and our own studies. We do not intend to review the whole literature but only to survey briefly to develop our viewpoint.

Chewing fresh leaves and tender twigs ofCatha edulis, commonly known as kat, in order to experience their amphetamine-like stimulant action is on the increase in regions of traditional use—e.g., southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Djibouti), Ethiopia, Kenya, and Madagascar. Although the genus Catha was first delineated nearly 200 yr ago, botanical descriptions rarely mention that plants may bear alternate or opposite leaves and never include an explanation for the presence of shoots with opposite leaves and shoots with alternate leaves on the same plant. An obscure paper (1903) by the late Sir David Prain in a long defunct journal goes into considerable detail on the matter. Extensive excerpts from that paper are reprinted. The association of various market grades of kat with morphological origin and age is suggested. The extensive polymorphism of the kat plant is described. More work is needed to understand kat from morphological, chemical, and pharmacological perspectives.

This paper documents that the first specimens of the economically important nutmeg tree did not reach the New World until 1773, while the equally valuable cinnamon tree had been transferred to a Caribbean island by 1762. These dates can serve to interpret a recently discovered manuscript by the French botanist Jean Baptiste D’Arnault in which he claimed to have collected nutmeg and cinnamon in the Lesser Antilles or Venezuela in 1767 (Lindorf 2001, 2002). Este artículo documenta que los primeros especímenes de la nuez moscada, árbol económicamente importante, no llegaron al Nuevo Mundo antes de 1773, mientras que el árbol de la canela, igualmente valioso, fue transferido a una isla del Caribe en 1762. Estos datos pueden contribuir a interpretar un manuscrito recién descubierto del botánico francés Jean Baptiste D’Arnault, en el cual él afirmaba haber coleccionado nuez moscada y canela en las Antillas o Venezuela en 1767 (Lindorf 2001, 2002).

These notes were inspired by F. Bruce Lamb's paper "On Further Defining Mahogany" published earlier in Economic Botany 17: 217-232. 1963). Lamb devotes some of his space to an attack on what I say in a paper of like title, "On Defining Mahogany," which appeared in Language (16: 308-318. 1940). In my paper I had said: "The etymology of mahogany has never been determined, and probably never will be, for want of evidence." Lamb found these words of mine "an intriguing challenge" and he proceeded to give an etymology. But first let me quote more fully from my own paper

In his 1966 paper in Economic Botany, Mikuriya discussed the cultivation of Cannabis sativa or kif in the Rif Mountains of Morocco. The present paper will amplify his statements concerning kif, particularly within an economic context, based upon data gathered during a year and a half of anthropological field work in Northern Morocco.2 Grown in large quantities in the Rif and smoked by a fairly high proportion of native adult males, kif ranks, along with citrus fruits, lumber, cotton, and palmetto fiber, as one of the area's chief cash crops.3 Unlike the other crops, it is illegal, but for various reasons to be developed, it continues to flourish.

The species of the genus Physalis L. (Solanaceae) are grasses or shrubs, practically all of which are native to America. They are known for their application as foods and medicines in several different countries of the continent. The genus is represented in the Gran Chaco by 6 taxa, of which Physalis viscosa L. is the most widespread and of greatest local use. This paper presents ethnobotanical, floristic and ecological data recorded for the Physalis that live in the region. Likewise, bibliographical sources were examined for references to the genus in the Gran Chaco and other parts of America. During field work original data were recorded and the reference plant material was collected. The research study included nine indigenous groups as well as the rural population of the region. The vernacular names of the different species collected, their uses and forms of use are provided. These results are compared with the references from other human groups in America, and the role of these plants in the context of each culture is discussed. Fil: Arenas Rodriguez, Pastor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina Fil: Kamienkowski, Nicolás Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina

The author acknowledges constructive comments on earlier versions from: Michael Bravo, Gary Kofinas, Stuart Marks, Colin Scott, Frank Sejersen, and Joe Spaeder. In this paper I argue: a) that it is important to examine the differences between the uses of local knowledge in wildlife management as compared to its uses in economic botany and health professions; b) that the application of local knowledge by wildlife resource professionals is decisively shaped by the interests and conditions of state institutions; c) that the processes and structures linking state systems and local peoples are little influenced by the needs and well-being of local resource users; d) that we may nevertheless be at a historical moment in which this long-standing pattern is under increasing stress, as a result of global restructuring and government funding cuts, and in which the opportunities and benefits for change are significant for state and regional institutions, local users, and wildlife. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Danish Polar Center (Copenhagen) Travel Grant, EuroMAB (Man and Biosphere, UNESCO), International Association for the Study of Common Property (IASCP), GÉTIC at Universitè Laval, Arts Research Board of McMaster University.

At the meeting of the Council of the Society for Economic Botany on June 11, 1978, the concept of an Economic Botany Section in the Botanical Society of America was endorsed. Such a section would enable persons attending Botanical Society meetings, whether or not they also attend Society for Economic Botany Meetings, to sponsor symposia, contributed papers, or conduct other activities concerning economic botany. The Botanical Society has 12 other sections, which have functioned well over the years in facilitating information flow between its members and those of related societies. The Council of the Botanical Society of America, at its June 25, 1978, meeting, authorized the establishment of an Economic Botany Section. The next step, therefore, is development of a list of interested members. Any member of the Botanical Society of America who has interests in economic botany and wishes to affiliate with the Economic Botany Section should notify

In a recent paper in Economic Botany, Quimby et al. (1973) described a peculiar variant of Cannabis, found on a herbarium sheet housed in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois (accession number 1628511). This specimen was identified on the herbarium label as Cannabis indica Lam., and Quimby et al. interpreted it as an unusual example of Cannabis sativa L., with pinnate leaves. Two photographs of this specimen were included in the paper '(figs. 23, 24, p. 127; not fig. 22 as stated in text). The specimen has been cited several times in recent symposia, and I have received a number of inquiries concerning its nature. Dr. John McNeill of this institute and I have determined that the plant in question is in fact a male of Datisca cannabina L. Male plants of Datisca cannabina L. are remarkable mimics of Cannabis sativa L. (females are less so). As noted by Steam (1974): "In the Hortus Cliffortianus, Linnaeus provided a short diagnosis, Cannabis foliis digitatis, to distinguish the true hemp from a then imperfectly known plant diagnosed there as Cannabis foliis pinnatis, but named Datisca cannabina in the first edition of the Species Plantarum." On close examination, a wealth of characters distinguish the two species. Indeed, they are so distant that Cronquist (1968) assigns

It seems most appropriate to me to use this occasion to declare my debt and my thanks to the Society for Economic Botany for inspiring and furthering the course of an investigation which is possibly one of the more useful of my various activities over the past several years. For one thing, in early May, 1970, at the request of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Richard Evans Schultes, our Editor, and Joseph Sutton, Managing Editor of our journal, Economic Botany, stopped Volume 24, No. 2, on its way to press in order to include my paper, "Tentative Correlations of Plant Usage and Esophageal Cancer Zones." The members of this Society are entitled to a resum6 of developments in this study since that time. But, before going ahead, I should step back a little, for the benefit of new members who may not be aware of what was going on at that time. I shall be very brief and I ask you to bear with me because I will be leading up to a conclusion which has a bearing on the benefits or otherwise of plant usage by you and me and people everywhere. Esophageal cancer has a peculiar geographic distribution with striking variations from high to low incidence between adjacent areas. Remarkably high mortality rates (over 100 per 100,000) exist in the Province of Honan, China, the Turkmen and Uzbek regions of Russia and neighboring northern Iran, and in the Transkei in southeastern Africa. Areas with the next highest rates are the Normandy Peninsula of France, and the islands of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. Other relatively high regions are Bombay, India, western Kenya and northern Chile. In the United States as a whole, the incidence is low (3.28 per 100,000), but it has been steadily rising among non-white males for the past 21 years, reaching over 20 per 100,000 in certain localities. In the three areas of highest incidence in the world, and in Curacao, the male-female rate is nearly equal. In most other high-incidence areas, the male rate is 2-10 times the female rate; in France, 20 times. In Durban, South Africa, the rate among Asian women far exceeds that among males. The disease was first noted among the Bantu people in the Transkei in 1943; by 1953, there was found to be a five-fold increase. This situation attracted world-wide attention and much speculation as to the cause. Dr. Rex Burrell worked among the Bantu for ten years and prepared a list of the local plants used by the people for food and folk-medicine. In 1962, the National Cancer Institute asked me to evaluate this list and select the plants most worthy of investigation. Subsequently, they asked that I prepare a comparative list of South African herbs and those of the Netherlands Antilles or

In this paper a survey is given of the present knowledge of the medicinal value of May apple,Podophyllum peltatum, a plant which is common in the whole deciduous forest region of eastern North America. Intensive chemical, pharmacological and clinical research has shown that Podophyllum is a very valuable medicinal plant because it contains drugs which can effectively be used against certain virus and skin cancer diseases. The plant is so much in demand in the drug trade that selection of high yielding clones and cultivation might be contemplated. A review of the literature shows that surprisingly little is known yet about the flower biology, seed germination and productivity of this common plant. From various herbarium sources a distribution map has been compiled and the author tries to interpret this by comparing it with a number of climatic parameters. This might stimulate experimental work on the climatic requirements of May apple and it shows where optimum conditions exist for its eventual cultivation on a commercial scale.

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the 4,451 soybean (Glycine max,) accessions collected by P. H. Dorsett and W. J. Morse during their plant exploration trip to east Asia 1929–1931. Until about 1950 the collection was used primarily for the development of vegetable type soybean cultivars. During this period many of the accessions were lost. Today only 945 of the original 4,451 accessions are available in the United States soybean germplasm collection. From the 1950s to the 1980s, as soybean production increased in the United States, so did plant pathogen problems. The Dorsett-Morse soybean accessions have been extremely valuable to plant pathologists and breeders as sources of resistance to certain pathogens. Individual genotypes in the collection have been used for genetic studies on morphological, physiological and biochemical traits. Due to the development and distribution of higher-yielding soybean cultivars, farmers in east Asia are no longer growing lower-yielding landraces. Although these landraces are now extinct in east Asia, many were collected by Dorsett and Morse and are preserved in the United States soybean collection. Over the years, the Dorsett-Morse collection has increased in value and will be as useful to soybean scientists in the future as it has been in its first 50 yr of existence.

The paper deals with some important medicinal plants used in human skin diseases in Uttar Pradesh, India. Fifty species of 47 genera belonging to 30 families of pteridophytes and angiosperms are reported along with dosage rate and mode of administration.

This is a descriptive summary of information on traditional and modern uses of native plants by Alyawara-speaking Australian Aborigines. It includes data on 157 species, 92 of which are used for food, 28 for medicines and narcotics, and 10 in the manufacture of tools, weapons and other gear. Descriptions of food plants cover form and distribution, collecting and processing techniques, caloric yields, and dietary importance. The paper concludes with some comments on traditional plant cultivation practices.

Until recently the use of plants for the precontact cultures of the Northwest Coast has been weakly and sporadically documented. This has led to some misconceptions about the importance of food plants in the precontact diet. This paper documents the use of plants associated with food for the Kaigani Haida of southeast Alaska who were first contacted in 1774, giving the native terms for the plants, and methods of preparation and storage both in precontact and contemporary life. Evidence is offered which indicates that plants were of great importance to the societies of the Northwest Coast and that food plants were more important than has been recognized. A map shows the territory of the Kaigani Haida prior to Euro-American contact, old village sites and the modern village of Hydaburg. Women’s knowledge of plants, their native names, economic use, and method of preparation and storage are offered as evidence that food plants were significantly important to the precontact economy. Nutritional analyses of some of the berries and sprouts indicates that such foods were necessary in the diet in order to maintain healthy, viable populations.

Apart from the major staples, many of the indigenous crops of West Africa are little known to the outside world. In addition, the extent to which introduced plants have affected commerce and food consumption is imperfectly known. In an attempt to correct these deficiencies, this paper was written. It is to be hoped that the information contained herein, as well as the publications cited, may one day form the basis for a comprehensive modern treatise on West African crops.

This paper documents the history of the introduction of the soybean (Glycine max), a domesticate of China, to North America. Henry Yonge, the Surveyor-General of Georgia, planted soybeans on his farm at the request of Samuel Bowen in 1765. Mr. Bowen, a former seaman employed by the East India Company, brought soybeans to Savannah, Georgia, from China via London. From 1766, Mr. Bowen planted soybeans on his plantation “Greenwich” located at Thunderbolt, Georgia. The soybeans were used to manufacture soy sauce and vermicelli (soybean noodles). In addition, he manufactured a sago powder substitute made from sweet potatoes. The 3 products were then exported to England. Samuel Bowen received a patent for his manufacturing inventions for producing these products. Another early introduction of soybeans to North America was by Benjamin Franklin. In 1770 he sent seeds from London to John Bartram in Philadelphia.

Bryoria fremontii (Tuck.) Brodo & D. Hawksw. (syn.Alectoria fremontii Tuck.) was an important source of food for the interior Indian peoples of western North America from northern British Columbia to northern California. It and related species were also used as materials for clothing and medicine and are known to appear in native mythical traditions. The extent of the use of this lichen and the means of its collection and preparation are detailed in this paper.

A review of the text of lectures presented by colleagues previously honored as the Distinguished Economic Botanist, reveals that several different approaches seem to have been taken. Some have given an account of new and as yet unpublished personal research. Others selected important aspects of their published research and presented them in a concise review. This led me to do some soulsearching to identify what my research efforts related to economic botany have produced over the past 25 or more years. Certainly, in terms of sheer weight of paper, the work of my group has been most productive in the area of isolation, identification or structure-elucidation of cytotoxic and/or antitumor agents from plants. We have isolated hundreds of compounds from plants, determined about 200 novel structures and found about 150 of them to be biologically active. This does not leave me much to talk about since these studies can be found in readily available journals. I might describe our efforts to locate biologically-active compounds in plants, other than those in the antitumor area, but since central nervous system stimulants have not contributed much to our total effort, I would run the risk of sedating the audience. Such a risk most likely would be statistically significant at the P < 0.001 level.

This paper presents the basic data gathered in a study of plant names, uses, folklore, and cultivation practices among the residents of Tukukan in the central Bontoc region of the northern Philippines. Scientific names and phytogeographic statuses are provided for 325 specimens representing 265 genera and 109 families. In addition to expanding our knowledge of Bontoc ethnobotany, the study has provided insights into past plant use with important implications for understanding agricultural evolution in the region.

Cucurbita foetidissima is a native American wild plant with potential as a protein food and oil source. Research has previously been done on the composition of its amino acids and oils and on methods for cultivating it. This paper provides a comprehensive mineral analysis of the seeds and whole gourds and demonstrates that nutritional qualities of the buffalo gourd compare favorably with dry cow-feed. Buffalo gourd seed was also found to contain a trypsin inhibitor.

Job’s-tears—a cultigen of great antiquity—is grown in South Asia mainly by the natives of various ethnic groups of Mongolian origin. The plant is used as a minor cereal and fodder. The northeastern region of India is a centre of variability for the genus Coix. It is considered that this plant was introduced here either by the pestoral Aryan invaders, who grew it on the slopes of the Himalayas or during Mongolian conquests when the crop got distributed from the eastern Himalayas to lower subtropical terrains. During plant explorations conducted since 1970 in the northeastern region of India, much variability has been recorded for this crop. The various soft-shelled races now grown in this tract by the tribes are the result of conscious folk domestication and must have been selected for easy hulling and good kernel type. Based on this, and on information on domestication, cultivation and economic usages of this plant among the natives, some findings are presented in this paper.

Preserved rhizomes ofCanna edulis from 5 archaeological sites in the Casma Valley of Peru are illustrated and described. These were identified by their extant surface features and by their starch grains, which are different from those of any other known flowering plant species. Based on radiocarbon assays, these specimens range in date from 2250–295 B.C. Materials used for comparative purposes in this study included a collection of edible canna from the Peruvian archaeological site of Pachacamac and a modern-day specimen. A theory on the place of origin and time of domestication of this species is given in the conclusions of this paper.

The recognition and subsequent detection of the importance of teosinte introgression in the racial diversity and heterotic gene architecture of maize has been one of the outstanding achievements of Paul C. Mangelsdorf’s investigations into the origin of maize. This paper documents three areas in Mexico and Guatemala where maize and teosinte hybridize and where there is a system by which native cultivators exploit the heterotic nature of maize to increase their harvest. There is little reason to doubt that the hybridization and subsequent introgression of teosinte genes into maize observed at these sites is changed from that which has occurred over the past three thousand years resulting in the tremendous diversity and pronounced hybrid vigor in maize.

Medicinal plants identified by Miskito informants in Awastara, Nicaragua, were collected in the field. They are listed and botanically identified in this paper. Particularly interesting among the collection of 23 plant species are those used to cure snakebite and athlete’s foot, as observed in the field.

Preserved remains of manioc(Manihot) from 6 archaeological sites in the Casma Valley of Peru are illustrated and described. The combined collections from these sites total 197 pieces of root, 32 bark fragments, 22 pieces of stem, 4 capsules, and 2 leaf twigs. Based on radiocarbon assays, the specimens range in age from 1800 B.C. to A.D. 1532. This collection of sweet manioc is unique for its age, number, and wealth of different plant parts. A theory on the place of origin and time of domestication of these ancient cultivars is given in the conclusions of this paper.

This paper provides a brief account of 40 plants associated with herbal remedies among the Lodhas, a tribe of Midnapur district, West Bengal, India. Reports from informants were obtained during field studies between 1977 and 1982. The data are compared with information obtained from some other tribal societies like the Santals and the Oraons inhabiting neighbouring regions. The Lodhas have had a rich herbal folklore, but this is fading due to increasing acculturation and depletion of plant cover.