Questions

1.     It is important to identify a plant or root correctly because failure to do so may result in worsening your condition. Many plants have look alikes that may give you the complete opposite result than what you wanted. In some cases, death may occur.

2.     It would be beneficial to know a variety of plants from a variety of regions because it is not guaranteed that you would always have access to the one plant you do know even if you happen to be in the region where it grows. Also, the one plant you know might not be in bloom at the time of your situation.

3.     Yes, it would make a difference because certain plants are not in bloom at certain times. If you were traveling in winter, but only knew how to identify plants that bloomed in spring, your knowledge would not help you at all.

4.     It is important to form a relationship with the locals about their surrounding plant life because they may able to give you certain tips that are specific to that immediate area. For example, they may give you information about plants that have look alikes that are commonly found in that area in order to make you more cautious when looking for plants.

5.     No, I would not trust my own judgement in treating illnesses with local flora if I was found without traditional medicines. I feel like I do not hold enough knowledge about what plants to use and what plants to avoid. If I had a reference text with me, I would trust it if the risk of any mistakes was not huge. For example, if I had a sore throat and I could cure it using a plant found in my region, but there was a look alike that could kill me, I would not trust my judgement even with the reference text as support.