Ethnobotany Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Ethnobotany.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
A land-use system integrating trees and shrubs with crops or livestock to enhance productivity, biodiversity, and sustainability.
An ancient Indian holistic medical system using plant-based treatments, dietary guidance, and lifestyle practices dating back over 3,000 years.
The unauthorized appropriation of traditional biological knowledge or resources without consent, compensation, or credit to the source community.
The exploration of biological diversity for commercially or scientifically valuable genetic and biochemical resources.
A plant variety produced through selective breeding for desired characteristics, distinct from wild-type populations.
A preparation method in which plant material is boiled in water to extract soluble compounds, commonly used in traditional medicine.
A historical folk belief that plants resembling specific body parts can treat ailments affecting those parts.
A psychoactive plant or substance used in religious, shamanic, or spiritual contexts to induce altered states of consciousness.
The interdisciplinary scientific study of the relationships between peoples and plants across cultures and time periods.
The study of human cultural interactions with fungi, including their use as food, medicine, and in ritual.
The study of traditionally used biologically active substances, bridging indigenous medicinal practice with modern pharmacological analysis.
A systematically arranged collection of dried, pressed plant specimens used for taxonomic study and scientific reference.
A small-scale agroecosystem near a dwelling with diverse useful plants managed for subsistence and cultural purposes.
A preparation method in which plant material is steeped in hot water without boiling, commonly used to make medicinal teas.
A collected body of knowledge about the therapeutic properties of substances used in medicine, especially plants.
An international agreement ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
The branch of pharmacy dealing with natural drug substances derived from plants, animals, and minerals.
The study of the chemical compounds produced by plants, including alkaloids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other secondary metabolites.
The ethical and legal requirement to obtain a community's voluntary agreement before accessing their knowledge or biological resources.
A forest area traditionally protected by a community for religious or spiritual reasons, often harboring significant biodiversity.
A chemical compound produced by a plant that is not directly involved in growth or reproduction but often serves ecological or defensive functions.
The science of naming, describing, and classifying organisms into hierarchical categories based on shared characteristics.
A concentrated herbal extract made by soaking plant material in alcohol or another solvent to dissolve active compounds.
A cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief about ecosystems developed by indigenous and local communities over generations.
A preserved plant sample deposited in a herbarium as a permanent, verifiable record linked to ethnobotanical field data.