1. 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)

2. Ethnobotany

3. 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

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

5. 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,

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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. Some Important Plants in Indian Mythology
Ashoka

10. Banyan

11. Peepal

12. Neem

13. Thank You…….