ABSTRACT

This chapter deals with discussion on present status and future prospect of Indian ethnobotanical research carried out over the last six decades or more. After reviewing a vast literature on ethnobotany in general and Indian ethnobotany in particular, it has been observed that the past ethnobotanical work in India is of descriptive and utilitarian type, simply documenting the use of plants. This classical type of documentation of Indian ethnobotanical 654works is continuing till date without statistical analysis of the recorded data by quantitative tools. A positive indication is noticed in present-day Indian ethnobotanical research where ethnobotanists are employing quantitative indices for analysis of their research works. There is a giant database on Indian ethnobotanical knowledge which needs a digitized presentation after analyzing its data with the help of suitable statistical indices. In reviewing the present status of Indian ethnobotanical research some lacunae have been identified there in which have been discussed in detail. Finally, a discussion on future prospects of Indian ethnobotany has been made along with some suggestions for future plan of research.