| A taxonomic survey of the ethnically important plants of Montserrat was conducted with the assistance of Montserratians who were highly knowledgeable in plant usage and folklore. Study material was placed in plant presses and dried with the aid of a propane gas oven. In addition to collecting in the field, the author also made weekly visits to the public market and the government market, both of which are located in Plymouth. Observations were made as to what plants were sold as items of commerce and some purchases were made in order to collect specimens.; While living on the island, the author made many friends and took advantage of numerous opportunities to make observations on the ways plants were utilized. Also, some plants were personally tested by the author in order to gain a deeper understanding of their alleged uses.; Much information was obtained from interviews with Montserratians, especially how plants are and have been used for medicine, food, fiber, poisons, dyes, building materials, rituals, and etc. Field notes were taken and some interviews were recorded with a small cassette recorder. Many Montserratians were happy to share their knowledge and felt a sense of importance from being consulted.; A total of 269 species of ethnically important plants, representing 77 families, were treated in this paper. Of this total, 202 (75%) were medicinal, 120 (45%) were used for food, 45 (17%) were poisonous, 32 (12%) were a source of wood, 26 (10%) were associated with Voo Doo and folklore, 12 (4%) were sources of fiber, 9 (3%) were utilized for production of dyes, and 17 (6%) had miscellaneous uses.; The appendix, which consists of the author's field collection records, includes some non-ethnically important plants and contains 378 entries. |
