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What is economic botany?

Queue est Botanique Economiquc?

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Abstract

The history of economic botany is briefly discussed. Economic plants are defined as those plants utilized either directly or indirectly for the benefit of Man. Indirect usage includes the needs of Man’s livestock and the maintenance of the environment; the benefits may be domestic, commercial, environmental, or aesthetic. The relationships between economic botany, agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and ethnobotany are discussed as well as the regional approaches to economic botany around the world and by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in particular.

Resumen

La hisioire de hotanique économique est discuté brièvemnente. Les plantes économiques sont definit comme ces plantes qui sont utiles directement ou indirectement pour Ia profit de l’Ilomme. Usage mdirectement coimprendit les nécessités des animnaux domestiques et le conservation de I’environ nement; les profits pourait etre domnestiques, coin mercials, environmnentals, ou esthétiques. Les relations entre hotanique économnique, agriculture, aboriculture, horticulture, et éthnobotanique sont discuté comine aussi les approches regionales à hotanique économique autour du monde et particulierment dans les Jardins botaniques rovals de Kew.

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  1. Economic and Conservation Section, Royal Botanic Gardens, Surrey TW9 3AE, Kew, Richmond, UK

    G. E. Wickens (Retired Head)

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Wickens, G.E. What is economic botany?. Econ Bot 44, 12–28 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02861062

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