Challenges of Developing a Taxonomic Information System (Taxis) on Indigenous Medicinal Plants of South Western Nigeria

The oral nature of indigenous knowledge has always been cited as one of the important problems limiting its documentation, development and utilization. This was found to be true in the development of taxonomic information system (TAXIS). Information was collected about the taxonomy, important uses and dangers associated with use/misuse of 118 medicinal plant species indigenous to South Western Nigeria. Photographs of 21 out of the 118 species were also collected as well as bibliographic data on 158 publications that discussed the various plant species. This information was used to develop a taxonomic information system on medicinal plants. Several challenges were encountered in the process of developing TAXIS. These include the unwillingness of those involved with indigenous medicinal plants to volunteer information, a huge mass of unsubstantiated information, changes in name of some species and a lack of coordinated effort by the government and the scientific community to develop and standardise products from these plants. (African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science: 2003 13 (1):65-78