Ethnobotany

 When I used to spend time on Native American reservations I was occasionally introduced to someone who was described to me as an ethnobotanist. I got the idea that these individuals had acquired knowledge of plants that had medicinal properties and could be used in teas and poultices to combat different health issues. While medicinal uses of plants is part of what is included as ethnobotany, this would be a narrow perspective. The term explains the connection between people indigenous to an area and the plants native to that area. Some of the food preparations we have experienced (e.g., lau lau) would be another example. The culture of Native Hawaiians is obvious in Hawaii and references to agriculture are frequently mentioned, but I am guessing the remnants of ethnobotanical practices exist in many places if you look. Perhaps it is the effort to preserve this knowledge and share it that differs.

This is noni. The image doesn't offer perspective so I would compare the size to a lemon or lime. We explore botanical gardens when we visit different locations. There are likely many examples scattered throughout this travel blog. Here, noni would be pointed out as a food and medicine. I have seen food trucks advertise noni juice as a beverage. The juice is thought to have antioxidant properties.

One of the arguments made in the gardens committed to preventing indigenous plants from going extinct is the value of the scientific investigation of chemical substances from such plants for potential medical applications. The connection between this scientific study and the medicinal practices of ethnobotany are obvious, but there is also concern when substances are consumed without consideration of side effects or dosage.