Introduction to Economic botany Botany is the field of basic science dealing with the study and inquiry into the form, function, development, diversity, diversity, reproduction, evolution, and uses of plants and their interactions within the biosphere. It also includes the investigation of their uses and other parameters of importance wherever found. Such parameters don’t have to be only positive from man’s point of view.
Economic botany is the study of the r elationship between people (individuals (individuals and cultures) and plants. conomic botany intersects many fields including established disciplines such as agronomy, agronomy, anthropology, archaeology, chemistry, economics, ethnobotany, ethnology, forestry, genetic resources, geography, geology, horticulture, medicine, microbiology, nutrition, pharmacognosy, and pharmacology. pharmacology. !his lin" between botany and anthropology e#plores the ways humans use plants for f or food, shelter, medicines, te#tiles, and more.
Examples and Classification of Economic Plant Species available in Nigeria $lant classification is desirable for better understanding and appreciation of the numerous plants found growing everywhere. It also assists in memory preservation of "nowledge on the identity of each plant. %owever, %owever, a classification of plants that will hold under all conditions is hardly possible. &any plantsare used for a number of varied purposes and different uses are continually evolved for different plants so much that some formally inconspicuous plants become promoted because of their discovered essential use(s). 'evertheless, 'evertheless, plants are grouped from two maor lines of focus namely * +. Botanical classification . -gronomic classification Botanical Classification Seedless and Seed plants (Spermatophytes) are subdivisions of the plant "ingdom. !he latter are plants reproduced by seeds /ymnosperms and -ngiosperms. -ngiosperms. &ost of the plants grown for food or other economic use (i.e. crops) fall under the angiosperms. !he !he seeds of angiosperms are enclosed in an ovary as opposed to the 0na"ed’seeds of gymnosperms. -ngiosperms are the best "nown of the earth’s vegetation with over +12,222 species reported. !here are two main subclasses of angiosperms, monocotyledons (grasses, including cereals and sugarcane) and dicotyledons. 3rom previous studies in $lant !a#onomy, each of the subclasses is further divided in to orders, families, genera, species and varieties. !here are specific parameters of character similarities for delimitation into such groups. Agronomic Agronomic Classification $lants are classified according to the products from the plant and or their use, rather than any form of character similarity. !here are 4ereal crops, 5oots, !uber, /rain legumes, 6egetables, Sugar crops,3orage, crops,3orage, 3ruit crops, 7il crops, 'ut crops, 5ubber, !imber or !ree crops, 3ibre crops, Spices and stimulants. - broader broader classification contract the groups as 3ood crops, !ree crops, 3ibre, 3orage, 4ereals, &edicinal and !imber crops. - particular crop may recur under more than one of these broadgroups. 4rops are generally used as food or raw materials for the industries which provide processed foods of different "inds. In recent times, awareness is gaining ground on the medicinal import of some plants. %ence another concise grouping of plants include 3778, I'89S!5I-: and &8I4I'-: crops
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Economically important food plants $lants that humans use for food are of high economic importance. 5esearch into food plants generally involves increasing the si;e of the edible plant organ in question, or increasing the areas where the plant can be grown, and less frequently, finding new crop species.
1. 3ruits 4itrus,. -pples, pawpaw, plums etc !. 4ereals 5ice, mai;e, wheats etc ". 6egetables :ettuce, cabbages, spinach etc Economically valuable medicinal plants $lants have been used from ancient times to attempt cures for diseases and to relive physical suffering. -ncient peoples all had acquired some "nowledge of medicinal plants. 7ftentimes these primitive attempts at medicine were based on superstition and speculation. vil spirits in the body were thought to be the cause of medical problems. !hey could be driven out of the body through the use of poisonous or disagreeable plant substances that rendered the body a disagreeable habitat. &edicine men or women of a tribe were usually charged with "nowledge of such plants. !he progress of medicine has often been guided by the earlier observations and beliefs.
#rug Plants !hat branch of medical science dealing with the drug plants themselves is "nown as $harmacognosy. It is concerned with the history, commerce, collection, selection, identification and preservation of crude drugs and raw materials. !he action of drugs is $harmacology.
8rugs from $lant 5oots -conite, 4olchicum, /entian (Bitterroot), /inseng, Ipecacuanha, :icorice, $odophyllum, 5hubarb, Squills etc
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8rugs from the Bar" of $lants 4ascara, 4urare, 4inchona (>uinine),
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8rugs from Stems @
uassia,
A. 8rugs from $lant :eaves Belladonna, 4ocaine, Buchu,8igitalis, , Senna, Stramonium
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8rugs from 3lowers 4hamomile, 4olocynth, 'u# 6omica,
C.
8rugs from :ower $lants -ntibiotics li"e 4hloromycetin, !erramycin, 'eomycin
D.
7ther &edicinal Substances -gar, rgot, :ycopodium, &ale 3ern
1.
Insecticides and 5odenticides $yrethrum flower,8erris roots, :onchocarpus, 5ed Squill bulb
$enicillin,Streptomycin, -ureomycin,
%rnamental plants 7rnamental plants can be found in almost any store, and many people have at least one in their home. %owever, ornamental plants are not limited to houseplants. :andscaping agencies ma"e heavy use of ornamental plants, usually with an accompanying high cost. !rees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses, all of these are planted by professional landscaping agencies regularly, with a large economic effect 7rnamental plants can be ctegorised into the following plant types +. -gaves . -loes ?. Bromeliads @ 7rchids A. 4acti @ 7ther 8esert $lants . /round 4overs C. Shrubs, 3lowers, 6ines D. 8aisies 1. !rees E. Fuccas
Industrial Plants & Plant Products +.
ssential 7ils
. 3atty 7ils @
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E. !anning, 8ye @ $rocessing &aterials
A
