Medicinal Plant Working Group Information Committee

Chair:

Vacant

Objective:

To generate and share information regarding species of medicinal and economic importance and conservation concern.

Action Items:

• Develop a list of all such plants
• Assess currently available information as appropriate to the objective
• An assessment of native plant species harvested in the United States for medicinal use and trade and evaluation of the conservation and management implications
• Conduct inventory and monitoring of native medicinal plants
• An analysis of the sustainability of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) harvesting from the wild
• A review of the ecology and population biology of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), and protocols for monitoring its populations
• Quantify and monitor production, consumption, and international trade in selected species
• Assess the volume, intensity, and ecological impact of harvesting from the wild for selected species
• Assessment of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), osha (Ligusticum porteri), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) with respect to CITES Appendix II listing criteria
• Identify additional threats to native medicinal plants
• Identify native medicinal plants of particular conservation concern by ecoregion
• Promote research to increase understanding of the reproductive biology and genetic diversity of native medicinal plants
• Promote awareness of the concerns and policies of tribes and other groups that safeguard traditional knowledge of native medicinal plants as these pertain to confidentiality of information