T.Y.BSc SEMESTER VI BOTANY PAPER IV UNIT I:ETHNOBOTANY & AESTHETIC BOTANY By Mr. Vinodkumar Kushwaha Department of Botany SATISH PRADHAN DNYANASADHANA COLLEGE, THANE (W)

Ethnobotany

Definitions ethnobotany is the study of the interrelationship between plants and people. The two major parts of ethnobotany are encapsulated in the word itself; ethno, ‘the study of people’, and botany, ‘the study of plants’. However, the field is limited on both sides. On the botanical sides of the field, few ethnobotanical studies are concerned with plants that have no connection to people. On the ethno side, most studies are concerned with the ways indigenous peoples use and view plants. And those uses and those views can provide deep insights into the human conditions

Scope of Ethnobotany: Botany Anthropology Ecology Medicine Chemistry Agriculture Horticulture Forestry Agroforestry Ecoomis Linguistics

History 1.Plants in traditional medicine: From archaeological remains, In ancient times, In commerce, Unreported but used by tribes 2. Plants used by tribals: Ceremonial, Practised by tribal people, use hereditary,Embibed from exotic resource 3. Plants in folk: Included through observation, Due to its uses, Only symbolic 4.Plants in Materia medica: Exploitable resources, tested plants, employed in outside country,

Area of Ethnobotanical Studies: Archaeoethnobotany Ethnoecology Ethnomedicine Ethnogynaecology Ethnomusicology Ethnomycology Ethnonarcotics Ethnopharmacology Ethnotaxonomy Ethnotoxicology Paleoethnobotany Ethnocosmetics Ethnolinguistics Ethnoorthopaedics Ethnoophthalmology Ethnopediatrics

Sources of data and methods of study Depending on the study objectives we can use one or more approaches of study from the following Fossils Archaeological Resources: Folk songs, folk tales and folk proverbs Obsolete Literature and Travelogues Reports of Forest Departments Sanskrit Literature Ayurvedic Literature Ethnographies Flora and other Literature Herbaria and Museums Field work

PLANTS IN MYTHOLOGY Plants have played an important role in many of the world's mythologies and religions, and have been given deep and sacred meanings throughout the ages. The most ancient cross-cultural symbolic representation of the universe's construction is the world tree. Other examples of plants featured in mythology are Yggdrasil and the modern tradition of the Christmas Tree in Germanic mythology, the Tree of Knowledge of Judaism and Christianity, and the Bodhi tree in Buddhism. In folk religion and folklore, trees are often said to be the homes of tree spirits. Historical Druidism as well as Germanic paganism appear to have involved cultic practice in sacred groves. The term druid itself possibly derives from the Celtic word for oak. Ficus religiosa plays an important role in Indian mythology.

Some Important Plants in Indian Mythology Ashoka

Banyan

Peepal

Neem

Thank You…….