The field of ethnobotany is concerned with the relationship between indigenous cultures and plants. Plants play a major and complex role in the lives of indigenous peoples, providing nourishment, shelter, and medicine. Some plants have had such a major effect on traditional cultures that religious ceremonies and cultural beliefs were developed around their use. Ethnobotanists study and document these relationships.

The discovery of many plant-derived foods and medicines first used by indigenous cultures has changed the modern world. On the economic side, the field of ethnobotany determines the traditional uses of plants in order to find other potential applications for food, medicine, and industry. As an academic discipline, ethnobotany studies the interaction between peoples and plant life to learn more about human culture, history, and development. Ethnobotany draws upon many academic areas including anthropology, archeology, biology, ecology, chemistry, geography, history, medicine, religious studies, and sociology to help understand...