Economic Botany Journal

From the scientific journal, Economic Botany, there is an interesting article called, “A new Monstera Species of Economic Importance from Honduras.” This article is written by Alexander P. Karney and Michael H. Grayum. Alexander P. Karney is part of GreenWood and the United States Forest Service. Michael H. Grayum is part of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The topic of discussion in the article is about a type of plant that has gone unnoticed by the scientific world, but has been economically important to the country of Honduras. This plant is cultivated for its roots in order to make commercial products. These products include items such as hats, jewelry, tortillas, keychains, furniture, and baskets. In order to make anything out of the roots, they must be peeled and dried. This plant has now been identified as Monstera maderaverde and is found in forests in Honduras and a couple other countries in Central America such as El Salvador. Some key points mentioned in this article include the fact that the scientific world has not scientifically identified even the most common of plants. The article discusses a specific type of Monstera that is commonly used to make commercial products in many towns across Honduras. The fact that it has been unnoticed for this long is troubling because the species has been on a recent decline because of deforestation. In a study that was taken, scientists used data that was collected from six different cities in Honduras to estimate the maximum extraction (lbs/yr), current extraction, and the current income (USD). This research has helped scientists prove the recent decline in the past few years. For the remaining forests, there is now an economic incentive in preserving them. This article is interesting because it shows that scientists are not perfect. They can make mistakes the same way any human can. It also shows that there are probably many more plants out there that are commonly used that have gone unnoticed. As a result, biological inventories across the world are doing their best to document biodiversity. This article also shows readers the importance of preserving the remaining forests. By protecting these forests, scientists will have a better chance of identifying the remaining species of plants. Also, towns and cities that depend on plants in these forests will continue to have their income and will not have to look for a means of replacement.