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Ethnobotany is the scientific study of how various cultures use plants. It combines elements of anthropology, botany, ecology, and pharmacology to understand the relationships between plants and people. Ethnobotanists study how different societies interact with plants for food, medicine, shelter, clothing, rituals, and other purposes. Traditional Knowledge: Ethnobotany involves documenting and understanding the traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities regarding plants. This knowledge often encompasses detailed information about the uses of various plants, their medicinal properties, cultivation techniques, and folklore associated with them. Medicinal Plants: Ethnobotanists study the medicinal properties of plants used in traditional medicine systems around the world. They explore the efficacy of traditional remedies, identify bioactive compounds in medicinal plants, and assess their potential for modern drug discovery. Cultural Practices: Plants play a significant role...

  It's astounding how we continue looking for alien life when we have fungi back on Earth. Shiitake and button mushrooms look otherworldly already, but even these seem like plain Janes compared to other stuff you can stumble upon in the wild. From species that zombify insects to those resembling fingers of demons and corpses, you'd have to present a pretty strong argument to convince me these aren't stuff spilling over from other dimensions or worlds. However, their service to the environment cannot be understated. In addition to helping lock tons of carbon in our soils, they act like grocery stores for plant roots looking for a quick nutritious snack. But even these Jekylls have a famously deadly Hyde, inflicting more diseases on plants than any pest on the planet. And now, Scotland’s Natural History Museum has announced the discovery of the oldest disease-causing fungus within its fossil collections. The new fungal plant pathogen, named  Potteromyces asteroxylicola , is a...