The druid 'plant lore' skill has three primary uses:
When you use the 'consider' command on a plant-based creature, you will automatically use plant lore to determine its strengths and weaknesses.
When you use the 'gather check' command in the wild, you will automatically use plant lore to determine how much of the various plant resources are available.
When you use the 'gather herbs' command, you will need plant lore to find usable herbs. The kinds of herbs you gather will vary by your location in the world and the kind of terrain you are in. Bark is most abundant in forests, cacti and succulents in deserts, ferns and mosses in swamps and so forth.
It also allows you to 'gather mushrooms', which will search for any mushrooms or fungus in the area. Some mushrooms are edible, but most are more useful as herbs or spell components for brewing. A few are highly poisonous, so exercise caution when handling wild mushrooms!
The thief 'searching' skill gives a minor bonus to the success of gathering herbs and mushrooms. Plant lore also improves a character's ability to forage for food, in particular avoiding toxic plants.
