Putting plants in their place: Anthropological approaches to understanding the ethnobotanical knowledge of rainforest populations

摘要: Over the last decade or so ethnobotany has assumed a scientific prominence previously denied it. It is endorsed by institutions with high international profile (Kew, Royal Geographical Society, WWF, UNDP, UNESCO), market value placed upon it foresters, agronomists, development advisers and pharmacologists, become pivotal in preserving cultural identity knowledge of indigenous peoples whose traditional way life under threat (Posey 1990). Ethnobotanical has, therefore, both economic commodity political slogan. This particularly true respect to plant rainforest peoples, as these are often those highest media profile. However, our eagerness exploit product demonstrate its usefulness, there been tendency oversimplify what entails just how can be useful. I argue this paper that we must not narrow-minded simplistic conception ethnobotanical knowledge, take anything less than broad culturally-contextualised approach may miss point relevance altogether.