list of figures - Terry Sunderland

6.4.3 Life form
Life-form classification has been the subject of much debate, particularly with regard
to the relative influence of universality versus utility; (Berlin et al., 1973; Brown,
1977; Berlin, 1977; Hunn, 1982; Atran, 1983; Berlin, 1992; Ellen, 1998). In general,
life forms are broad classes usually recognised by their distinctive morphology
(Berlin, 1973; Berlin et al., 1973; Berlin, 1992). Berlin views the life- form categories
of folk systematics as very similar to those of early classical botanical classification
(see Atran, 1983) involving the major categories, “tree”, “vine” and “herb” (Berlin,
1977). Indeed, so universal is the application of these life form categories that Berlin
suggests that:
“These three major groupings represent such distinct perceptual discontinuities that their recognition
may constitute a substantive near-universal in pre-scientific man’s view of the world”. (Berlin, 1977:
385).
However, it has been noted that other life forms may also be recognised according to
their utility or ecological distribution, as well as morphological discontinuities; or
indeed a combination of these (Hunn, 1982; Atran, 1983; Randall and Hunn, 1984).
Hence, in most folk taxonomies there may be more than the three major life form
categories suggested by Berlin.
6.4.4 Intermediates
Intermediates are small groupings of generics (see below) that are similar to each
other through shared morphological or functional characters and are intermediates
because they fall in between life forms and generics. These are also often referred to
as “covert categories” as they are often unnamed and not easily undetected in folk
systematics, or they may be only known by a small subsection of a community
(Berlin, 1973; Martin, 1995).
6.4.5 Generics
These are the most salient categories in folk classification systems and as such are the
most commonly encountered during initial ethnobotanical surveys. Generics are the
smallest units in nature that are easily recognised on the basis of relatively large
numbers of gross morphological characters. The majority of generic taxa within folk
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