Ethnobotany of Oshá (Ligusticum porteri) and the role of traditional knowledge systems with plant management

Oshá (Ligusticum porteri), found growing at high elevation sites in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, is a medicinal plant whose roots are being sold by herbal product companies to treat influenza, bronchitis, coughs, colds, and sore throat. Historically, tribes including the Chiricahua, Mescalero, and White Mountain bands of the Apache,  Navajo, Zuni and other Pueblos, Southern Ute, Lakota, and the Tarahumara in Mexico used oshá to treat ailments listed above and others that we will highlight in our poster. We will present the details of the tribal ethnobotany of oshá, including uses for food, medicine, and other cultural uses.  Our collaborative work, including fieldwork in New Mexico and Colorado is focused on sustainability of harvest of oshá.  We will use ethnobotanical information to demonstrate that these efforts can be aided by incorporating Native American traditional knowledge.