A Short History of Plants

The presentation reviews how we know what plants some of our ancestors used as medicine, including fossil evidence, written records, and research by plant scientists called ethnobotanists. Additionally, examples of the transfer of indigenous plant medicines into modern medicine will be shared. Finally, the ways that plants today are incorporated into medicine will be explained.

 

Dr. Larry DeBuhr is a retired botanist who volunteers to teach courses in botany for the Learning in Retirement organization. He also leads interpretive hikes on desert mountain nation trails. He received his Ph.D from Claremont Graduate School, taught at the University of Missouri -Kansas City, was Director of Education at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Chicago Botanic Garden. He has retired to the desert to enjoy the spring wildflowers.