Unraveling the commercial market for medicinal plants and plant parts on the Witwatersrand, South Africa

To unravel the market for commercial medicinal plants on the Witwatersrand in South Africa, a semiquantitative approach was taken. A stratified random sample of 50 herb-traders was surveyed, and an inventory of ail plants and parts sold was complied. Research participants were questioned on the scar city and popularity of the plants traded, as well as suppliers and origins. The rarefaction method established that the sample size rr as adequate. Th e diversity of the sample was determined using ecological indices of divers ity, and found to be compartively high. In addition. Spearman rank correlat ions. chi-squared and Fisher's exact probability tests were used to assess the probability of certain tnm being used At least 46% of rite taxa traded show ed a higher than expected probability of bring utilized, and taxa tend ed to be harvested from the largest families proximate to the markets. Abou t 511 species are traded in the region. and there is a low dominance in the use of species. Ethnic and floristic diversity are influential in deciding the trading patterns that hale emerged.