Survey of Medicinal Plants in the Main US Herbaria

Abstract

Plant identification has been waning during the recent expansive study of medicinal plants. This has been particularly true among manufacturers of products being marketed for natural heath care sectors. In an attempt to understanding to why basic plant identification is lacking, an inventory of the main US herbaria was completed in 2002. The inventory included plants that are commonly in use for medicinal purposes and those considered as adulterants. The results identify the plants found in each herbarium collection, access to the collections, and future plans of the herbaria for virtual (computer based) access to the collections. Recommendations are made for usage of virtual herbaria and expanded usage of traditional herbaria for identification of plants used in health care.