Ethnobotany of Paddy Plants - Traditional Knowledge, Diversity and Conservation, Volume I: Abutilon - Cleome

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Ethnobotany of Paddy Plants - Traditional Knowledge, Diversity and Conservation, Volume I: Abutilon - Cleome is written by Marcin Andrzej Kotowski and published by Marcin Andrzej Kotowski. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 8396185395 (ISBN 10) and 9788396185396 (ISBN 13).

This work focuses on highlighting the natural and cultural significance of the diversity of plants found in and around traditional rice-growing landscapes. Based on extensive field research and a multilingual synthesis of published and archival sources, it provides detailed descriptions of plant species associated with rice cultivation. These descriptions include a collection of local names, information on distribution and habitat, and a compilation of previously recorded ethnobotanical knowledge. In the descriptions of the plants’ uses, we include traditional knowledge as well as the results of peer-reviewed research in the fields of chemistry and pharmacology. In cases where traditional knowledge is not yet supported by experimental evidence, we mark this as a research gap and a priority for future research. The catalogue of ricefield plants is supplemented with high-resolution photographs of the species, including their diagnostic features. Although not a field guide, the atlas is designed as a reference point for practice and policy in rice cultivation systems. To guide the reader through heterogeneous agroecosystems, the introduction first presents a species-independent typology of rice fields that applies to both O. sativa and O. glaberrima cultivation systems. The following chapters present the regional context, followed by alphabetically ordered species descriptions. In practice, the atlas can serve as a tool for scientists, farmers, teachers, and agricultural advisors to facilitate the identification of locally important plants, along with information on their potential value. Furthermore, agricultural policymakers and wetland managers will find evidence for the integration of non-cultivated species into agri-environmental management measures. Ethnobotanists, agroecologists, nutritionists, and food system researchers will find comparative materials and source materials that speak to the biocultural significance of rice-field flora. This function is particularly important in the context of the ongoing intensification and homogenisation of agriculture. By placing local names, photographs, uses, and habitats side by side, the book also serves as a tool for the exchange of knowledge between people involved in rice cultivation. Finally, the atlas aims to reframe plants that are often considered troublesome weeds as an important biocultural resource.