Author(s): Philip A. Clarke (Head of Anthropology and Manager of Sciences, The South Australian Museum, Australia)

HISTORY

The author argues that we can better understand a people if we know how they see and use plants. In Discovering Aboriginal Plant Use, Clarke dips into his field journals to provide a rich account of journeys, as both anthropologist and ethnobotanist, that span the temperate, arid and tropical zones of Australia and neighbouring landmasses. He describes the cultural and natural heritage of each region, on the plants used by Aboriginal people that contribute to their distinctiveness.