Winner of the 2005 Klinger Book Award Presented by The Society for Economic Botany. Florida Ethnobotany provides a cross-cultural examination of how the states native plants have been used by its various peoples. This compilation includes common names of plants in their historical sequence, weaving together what was formerly esoteri

The Amazonian Ethnobotanical Dictionary presents an exciting new rainforest book, designed and conceived in the rainforest and dedicated to its preservation.The book contains concise accounts of the various uses to which prominent Amazonian plants are put by the local rainforest inhabitants. Although emphasis is placed on plant foods and forest medicines, there is also commentary on other relevant applications, including natural artifacts, house construction, natural pesticides, and ornamental and fodder plants. More than 1,000 species are covered and over 200 illustrated. An index to Spanish and English names leads to the scientific name, and the index to plants provides its medicinal application. There are even suggestions on how to eat palm grubs and how to make an Amazonian salad dressing. All royalties from the book are donated to the Amazonian Center for Environmental Education and Research (ACEER) in order to continue its preservation of one of the world's most diverse forests.

The Baboquivari Mountains, long considered to be a sacred space by the Tohono OÕodham people who are native to the area, are the westernmost of the so-called Sky Islands. The mountains form the border between the floristic regions of Chihuahua and Sonora. This encyclopedic work describes the flora of this unique area in detail. It includes descriptions, identifications, ecology, and extensive etymologies of plant names in European and indigenous languages. Daniel Austin also describes pollination biology and seed dispersal and explains how plants in the area have been used by humans, beginning with Native Americans. The term Òsky islandÓ was first used by Weldon Heald in 1967 to describe mountain ranges that are separated from each other by valleys of grassland or desert. The valleys create barriers to the spread of plant species in a way that is similar to the separation of islands in an ocean. The 70,000-square-mile Sky Islands region of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico is of particular interest to botanists because of its striking diversity of plant species and habitats. With more than 3,000 species of plants, the region offers a surprising range of tropical and temperate zones. Although others have written about the region, this is the first book to focus exclusively on the plant life of the Baboquivari Mountains. The book offers an introduction to the history of the region, along with a discussion of human influences, and includes a useful appendix that lists all of the plants known to be growing in the Baboquivari Mountain chain.

This is a local study of wild medicinal plants in the Greater Green Swamp, what is changing, and why. It looks at what has happened to drained and logged swampland, where soil at the top of Bone Valley, recovering from an extended hydroperiod has become home to a number of pan tropical medicinal plants. Eight of the common wild medicinal plants in Kathleen, FL are looked at from a point of view of their value in history, how these plants are treated in the United States, and how they are used all around the world.

Paleo-Indians lived more than 14,000 years ago in the land we now call Florida, and later came tribes of indigenous people known as the Ais, Calusa, Mayaimi, Tequesta, Timucua, and others. Still later came the Seminole and Miccosukee. These people were hunter-fisher-gatherers who lived off the bounty of what nature had to offer. Today, foraging wild fruits, nuts, grains, and other edible plant parts has become an active pastime for outdoor enthusiasts throughout the country, but Florida is a forager’s paradise due to the wealth of both temperate and tropical native plants. In Foraging Florida, local naturalist Roger Hammer highlights edible and medicinal native and naturalized plants found throughout the state, from the far western Panhandle to the island chain of the Florida Keys. The book is organized by plant family so foragers can learn which species are closely related, and it includes a poisonous plant section so novices will know which plants to avoid. Recipes, identification tips, and how to prepare herbal and medicinal teas are offered throughout this forager’s guidebook. Detailed description and photos of each plant, including its uses Information on toxic lookalikes and cautions Recipes to prepare at home and on the trail A glossary of botanical terms

For thousands of years, the Kumeyaay people of northern Baja California and southern California made their homes in the diverse landscapes of the region, interacting with native plants and continuously refining their botanical knowledge. Today, many Kumeyaay Indians in the far-flung ranches of Baja California carry on the traditional knowledge and skills for transforming native plants into food, medicine, arts, tools, regalia, construction materials, and ceremonial items. Kumeyaay Ethnobotany explores the remarkable interdependence between native peoples and native plants of the Californias through in-depth descriptions of 47 native plants and their uses, lively narratives, and hundreds of vivid photographs. It connects the archaeological and historical record with living cultures and native plant specialists who share their ever-relevant wisdom for future generations. Book jacket.