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Article: Herbals and Herbalists
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- Plant Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Herbals and Herbalists
For most of human history, people have relied on herbalism for at least some of their medicinal needs, and this remains true for more than half of the world's population in the twenty-first century. Much of our modern
pharmacopeia
also has its roots in the historical knowledge of medicinal plants.
What Are Herbs, Herbals, and Herbalists?
To botanists, herbs are plants that die back to the ground after flowering, but more generally, herbs are thought of as plants with medicinal, culinary (especially seasoning), or aromatic uses.
Traditional herbals are compilations of information about medicinal plants, typically including plant names, descriptions, and ...