An Ethnobotanical Study of Native Plants in the Virgin Islands

We designed a research project to determine the extent of ethnobotanical knowledge of individuals living on St. Thomas in the U. S. Virgin Islands. First we collected, dried and preserved plant species, growing in the Cooperative Extension Orchard, University of the Virgin Islands. Species chosen are indigenous to St. Thomas and included Moringa oleifera, Manihot esculenta (cassava), Averrhoa carambola, Myrciaria floribunda and Manilkara zapota. Next, we created questionnaires informed by relevant literature from similar studies used to test the ethnobotanical knowledge of local residents at other locations. Following this we interviewed nineteen people ranging in age from 18 to 60+. One important finding was that there seems to be a positive correlation between age and ethnobotanical knowledge with older residents knowing more facts about plant species than those who are younger. From the data, we conclude that the people of St. Thomas may be experiencing cultural erosion of ethnobotanical knowledge.