2014 - Volume 12 : Ethnobotany Research and Applications

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/33966

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Wine, Beer, Snuff, Medicine, and Loss of Diversity - Ethnobotanical travels in the Georgian Caucasus
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Bussmann, Rainer W.; Zambrana, Narel Y Paniagua; Sikharulidze, Shalva; Kikvidze, Zaal; Kikodze, David; Jinjikhadze, Tamar; Shanshiashvili, Tamaz; Chelidze, Dato; Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Bakanidze, Niki
Ethnobotany of Wild and Semi-Wild Edible Fruit Species used by Maale and Ari Ethnic Communities in Southern Ethiopia
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Kidane, Berhane; van der Maesen, L.J.G.; van Andel, Tinde; Asfaw, Zemede; Sosef, M.S.M.
Wild and semi-wild tree fruit species are important resources in combating food insecurity and providing supplementary diet to rural people. We studied wild and semi-wild fruit species used by the Maale and Ari communities in southern Ethiopia and the conservation status of these resources. We used focus group discussions (n = 18) and individual interviews (n = 144) in three rural kebeles. In total, the two communities used 52 species of wild and semi-wild fruit species which were especially important for their diet in times of food shortage. The most important species were, for the Maale community, Balanites rotundifolia (Tiegh.) Blatt. and Dobera glabra (Forssk.) Juss. ex Poir. and, for the Ari community, Carissa spinarum L. and Vitex doniana Sweet. No significant variation in ethnobotanical knowledge regarding fruit species existed among gender and age groups. The main traded fruit species were B. rotundifolia, Ximenia caffra Sond., and Vangueria madagascariensis J.F.Gmel. The major threats reported by informants to the availability of wild and semi-wild fruit species were tree felling and conversion of forest to agricultural land. In addition to preserving the local knowledge and implementing conservation strategies that protect the remaining fruit trees, maintenance and enrichment planting of the most important species are plausible management interventions.
Sendera-clandi (Xenostegia tridentata, Convolvulaceae): A medicinal creeper
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Austin, Daniel Frank
In 1692 Rheede reported vines in India by the Malayalam name sendera-clandi. Soon afterward, the medicinal species was in London, imported from India and West Africa. Subsequent exploration of Africa and Asia revealed that these diminutive creepers were widespread and that they were considered medicinal throughout the Old World tropics. Now known scientifically as Xenostegia tridentata, people have long recognized two distinct morphotypes, one African and one Asian. Recent research confirms that these two represent subspecies of X. tridentata whose ranges overlap in southern India and Sri Lanka. Historical data indicate that the overlap was caused, or at least enhanced, by traders moving between Asia and Africa.
Ecological Apparency Hypothesis and Availability of Useful Plants: Testing different seu values
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Ribeiro, João Everthon Silva; Carvalho, Thamires Kelly Nunes; Alves, Carlos Antonio Belarmino; Ribeiro, João Paulo Oliveira; Guerra, Natan Medeiros; Pedrosa, Kamila Marques; Silva, Núbia; Sousa Júnior, Severino Pereira; Nunes, Alissandra Trajano; Souto, Jacob Silva; Lima, José Ribamar Farias; Oliveria, Rodrigo Silva; Lucena, Reinaldo Farias Paiva
The present study tested the ecological apparency hypothesis in a Brazilian rural community. It used the use value to test the information gained through three types of calculations (UVchange, UVgeneral, UVpotential). A vegetation inventory was performed in two areas near Capivara, Paraíba, Brazil, and 112 informants were interviewed. For the hypothesis test, the Spearman correlation coefficient was used to correlate the phytosociological (vegetation) and ethnobotanical data (use value). The study recorded 25 useful species in the first site and 20 in the second site. Positive correlations were found in the first site, between the UVg to basal area and dominance, and between the UVc and basal area, dominance, and importance value. In the second site, between the UVg and both basal area and dominance and between UVc and basal area, density, and dominance. Apparency explained the local importance of useful plants in construction, technology, and fuel, but was not explanative of medicine. Also, important responses were observed for the different use values.
Ethnobotanical Uses of Some Plants of Bhattiyat Block in District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh (Western Himalaya)
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Rani, Savita; Rana, Jai Chand
In this study an ethnobotanical survey of plant diversity was carried out at Bhattiyat block of District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India. The study was mainly focused on the medicinal plants used for treatment of various ailments/diseases by the nearby village inhabitants. The information was collected by questionnaire and consulting local elders. The present paper provides information on the indigenous therapeutic application and other traditional uses of 22 plant species that are commonly used by the natives of Bhattiyat block of District Chamba.
Promoting the Use of Ethnoveterinary Practices in Livestock Health Management in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Mudzengi, Clarice Princess
This study evaluated the contributions and potential of ethnoveterinary practices to livestock health management in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. Causes of non-adoption of ethnoveterinary practices were also determined, and recommendations for the way forward suggested. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in the study. High costs and unavailability of pharmaceuticals, poor communication networks, and disintegrating government livestock health facilities were cited as some of the problems in livestock health management. Adoption of ethnoveterinary practices which are cheap, locally available, and sustainable is an alternative, especially in the face of climate change and variability. However, the respondents cited lack of documentation, inadequate diagnosis, and lack of knowledge of application rates or side effects of these practices as some of the challenges in using them. Ethnoveterinary practices are therefore mostly used in combination with pharmaceuticals rather than on their own. Scientific validation of indigenous medicinal plants is therefore important to increase their adoption in livestock health management. The knowledge of traditional healers, seasoned stockmen, hunters, and other experienced elderly people should be tapped to gather information on these practices so that it gets documented for the benefit of future generations.
Floristic Features, Distribution, and Ethnobotany of Plants Gathered and Used by Local People from the Mediterranean Forest in Northern Jordan
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Nawash, Oraib; Al-Assaf, Amani; El-oqlah, Ahmad; Omari, Mohammad
Understanding the distribution and floristic features of native forest plants, as well as the reasons that lead local people to collect them, is of great value for planning and implementing forest conservation and rehabilitation projects in the Mediterranean forest involving local communities. The aims of this study were to (1) investigate the distribution pattern, (2) analyze the floristic features, and (3) investigate the main uses of plants gathered from three Mediterranean forest ecosystems in Northern Jordan. We sampled 14 villages that were selected according to their location on the edge and within the three Mediterranean forest types in Northern Jordan. Three hundred informants were interviewed face to face using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data obtained included a list of plants collected and their uses. A Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) was carried out to investigate the distribution of plant species collected from the three forest types. Also, important indices were calculated including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Fidelity Level (FL%), and uses totaled. The DCA showed that there are common plant species gathered intensively from all three forest types, namely Origanum syriacum L., Malva parviflora L., and Arum palaestinum Boiss., and that some plant species are collected from a particular forest type. The main uses of the collected plants are food and medicine. The study results suggest value in taking into account the behavior of people who collect native forest plants when designing fragile forest ecosystem restoration programs. These programs should be community-based in order to achieve ecosystem sustainability and prevent biodiversity erosion.
Prehistoric Plant Use at Beaver Creek Rock Shelter, Southwestern Montana, U.S.A.
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Dexter, Darla; Martin, Kathleen; Travis, Lauri
The 2011 Carroll College Archaeological Field School conducted an exploratory excavation within the Beaver Creek Rock Shelter in southwestern Montana, U.S.A. The excavation exposed four cultural occupation layers dat-ing to over 2,500 years ago. Pollen retrieved from the pa-leoenvironmental record included a wide variety of plants. Seven plant families were found in three of the occupa-tion layers and in only one natural layer. This research reviewed the traditional Native American ethnobotanical uses of those seven plant families. They were used pri-marily for medicinal purposes. Although archaeologists have traditionally viewed botanical remains as evidence of prehistoric subsistence, this research demonstrates ar-chaeologists’ need to use caution in assuming plant re-mains in the archaeological record are predominately tied to subsistence.
An Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants in Amaro Woreda, Ethiopia
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Mesfin, Fisseha; Seta, Talemos; Assefa, Abreham
An ethnobotanical study was conducted in Amaro Wereda, Southern Nations Nationalities and peoples Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia. The objective was to document indigenous knowledge of the people on the use of medicinal plants and investigate plant species that are used as medicines for the treatment of human health problems, document indigenous knowledge for the conservation of biological and cultural diversities and threatening factors of plant species. Vegetation data was collected along with ethnobotanical information from purposefully selected areas of the wereda. A total of 17 traditional healers with most of them aged from 28 to 70 years from different parts of the wereda were purposefully selected and information was collected through the use of questionnaires and personal interviews during field trips in the Korre ethnic group from August to December 2012. Descriptive analysis was made for the data collected. A total of 56 plant species were reported by traditional healers of the Korre ethnic groups for their medicinal uses, representing 52 genera and 32 families. The majority (76.8%) were wild. Of the plants, 21 were herbs (37.5%) and 19 shrubs (34%). Thirty-one human ailments were identified by the traditional healers of the study area. Leaves constituted 33 % of the total uses followed by roots (27 %). Fifty seven percent of the healer remedies were applied through oral tract while 23% were applied on the skin. The Korre plants were the ones with the highest fidelity level (FL) values, an indication of their high healing potential. Priority should, therefore, be given to these plants to test their efficacy and their toxicity. Conservation priority should be given for identified threatened medicinal plants, promoting in-situ and ex-situ conservation of medicinal plants in Korre community of Amaro wereda.
An Ethnobotany of Firewood in Osage Big Moon Peyotism: Practical knowledge, ritual participation, and aesthetic preference
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Swan, Daniel; Simons, Lauren
This article examines firewood in the context of the modern practice of the Big Moon Peyote Religion by the Osage Indian community of Osage County, in northeastern Oklahoma, U.S.A. The fire and its ritual maintenance is a major component of the all night ceremony of Peyotism. The selection and preparation of the wood used in the ritual fire incorporates botanical knowledge, ceremonial experience, and aesthetic considerations to satisfy a range of preferences and criteria. We also discuss the manners in which firewood, through its ritual use and sacred properties, extends the spiritual benefit and social relationships of Peyotism to the greater Osage community.
An Ethnobotanical Study of the Swamp Wetland Vegetation of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Mulei, Josephine; Otieno, Donald; Onkware, Augostino
Ethnobotanical knowledge associated with wetland plants in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, was assessed and documented. Data on the uses of plants, their local names, and parts used were collected through semi-structured interviews. Fifty wild plant species distributed across 45 genera and 23 families were cited as having traditional uses in the area. Of these, 26 were used as fodder, 14 as medicine, 12 as firewood, 9 as food, and 11 for construction. Some, like Cyperus papyrus L. and Acacia seyal Delile, had multiple uses. Thirty-one plants (62%) of the total recorded were herbs, 13 (26%) shrubs, 3 (6%) trees, and 3 (6%) climbers. Various plant parts were used for different purposes. Medicinal plants were useful in treating a total of 19 ailments and had various methods of preparation.
Intracultural Cognizance of Medicinal Plants of Warangal North Forest Division, Northern Telangana, India
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Suthari, Sateesh; Sreeramulu, N.; Omkar, K.; Reddy, C.; Raju, Vatsavaya
Differences in the traditional botanical knowledge of Koya communities inhabiting Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary (Warangal North Forest Division) are investigated. Eighteen villages (16 within the wildlife sanctuary and two outside it) were selected to test the null hypothesis that there exist no cognitive differences among the ethnic inhabitants in their ability to recognize the plants and recall the vernacular names and medicinal uses since they are recipients of the same dry deciduous forest ecosystem services. The Koyas were found to use as medicine 237 species in 66 angiosperm families. Analyses of data gathered from villagers showed that there is significant intracultural diversity in terms of taxonomic groups and growth forms in regard to utilizing the proximate plant resource for their primary healthcare and disease treatment of pets.
Dormancy and Revitalization: The fate of ethnobotanical knowledge of camel forage among Sahrawi nomads and refugees of Western Sahara
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Volpato, Gabriele; Puri, Rajindra
Knowledge about forage is fundamental to the survival of pastoral populations around the world. In this paper, we address the knowledge of camel forage of Sahrawi nomads and refugees of Western Sahara. We analyze the distribution of this knowledge through cultural consensus analysis and develop an explanation for intra-cultural variation based on changing processes of knowledge transmission. In total, 100 plant species were free-listed by informants, with five species (i.e., Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne, Nucularia perrinii Batt., Astragalus vogelii (Webb) Bornm., Panicum turgidum Forssk., and Stipagrostis plumosa Munro ex T.Anderson) found to be culturally highly salient. These five represent five local categories of forage that are necessary for camel management in the Western Sahara desert. The Sahrawi listed 25 forage plants that influence the taste and properties of camel milk, demonstrating that cultural values, as much as survival functions, underpin local knowledge systems. Perhaps unsurprisingly, age and nomadic experience are positively correlated with forage knowledge. Forced displacement and sedentarization are hypothesized as causes of progressive non-use of this knowledge and the lack of its transmission to younger generations of refugees. Nonetheless, across the study area, refugees are re-engaging with pastoralism and nomadism, which is leading to a revitalization of forage knowledge and its transmission. This should be regarded as an adaptation pathway for refugees.
Comparison of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites in Experimental and Natural Populations of Wild Tomatillos, Physalis longifolia Nutt.
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Kindscher, Kelly; Cao, Cong-Mei; Gallagher, Robert; Zhang, Huaping; Long, Quinn; Service, Lauren; Timmermann, Barbara
We conducted a field experiment to determine the effects of mulch, fertilizer, and mycelium on biomass and important secondary metabolite concentrations in the edible and medicinal plant Physalis longifolia Nutt., with the hypothesis that increased plant stress (i.e., no mulch, fertilizer, or mycelium) would decrease biomass production and increase secondary compound content. Experimental cultivated plots and natural populations of P. longifolia were evaluated for the abundance of major bioactive withanolides previously isolated from the species: withalongolide A (1), withaferin A (2), and withalongolide B (3). Results indicated negligible differences between experimental treatments in biomass yield and withanolide abundance. However, withanolide concentrations from wild populations varied considerably with some being much higher than the source population used in the experiment. These results suggest that variation in secondary compound concentrations among wild populations is an important consideration when selecting source material for the cultivation of medicinal plants.
The Practice and Importance of Chestnut Cultivation in Azerbaijan in the Face of Blight, Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) Barr
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Wall, Jeffrey; Aghayeva, Dilzara
The arrival and spread of chestnut blight, caused by the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) Barr, in Caucasian Azerbaijan has compromised the livelihoods of chestnut farmers and is causing rapid genetic erosion in the center of diversity for the European chestnut, Castanea sativa Mill. In Azerbaijan, blight was first reported in 2008 and is currently present in all chestnut-growing regions. Fortunately, there is a demonstrated biological control technique which may be applied in the context of Europe and Eurasia. This presents an opportunity to simultaneously achieve environmental and genetic resource conservation goals while reinforcing the livelihoods and maintenance of diversity of the nation’s chestnut growers. However, national institutions primarily recognize the economic and genetic importance of certain elite crops, particularly those which were prominent production goods during the Soviet period. The present work was undertaken to characterize the socio-economic role of chestnut production and use in the communities where this crop is grown and sold. We investigate the monetary role of chestnut sales in the livelihoods of growers and collectors. It is hypothesized that while continuing to be a minor production good nationally, chestnut sales in a newly entrepreneurial agricultural sector have taken on tremendous livelihood importance to specific communities. The socio-economic importance of chestnut-based income to Azerbaijan’s chestnut-growing communities is illustrated by the results of in-depth household budget interviews from 22 chestnut-growing households in two villages.
An Intervention Program Based on Plant Surrogates as Alternatives to the Use of Southern Ground-Hornbills in Cultural Practices
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Coetzee, Hendri; Nell, Werner; van Rensburg, Leon
The Southern Ground-Hornbill (SGH) (Bucorvus leadbeateri Vigors, 1825) is a globally threatened bird. The least studied and addressed threat facing the SGH is its use in traditional African cultural practices. This study aimed to develop and refine an intervention program based on the use of plant surrogates as alternatives to the use of SGHs in such practices. Following a grounded-action research approach, a preliminary week-long program was developed and implemented among a group of 10 traditional healers from South Africa. Feedback from the participants was analyzed qualitatively and used to refine the program. The participants identified several readily available and culturally congruent plant surrogates that could be used as alternatives to the SGH. Whilst the program requires additional refinement and implementation across the bird’s range, preliminary results indicate that the use of non-threatened plant species as surrogates for the SGH, as well as for similarly threatened species, holds promise as a rapid, cost-effective, and culturally sensitive conservation intervention.
Livelihood and Revenue: Role of rattans among Mongoloid tribes and settlers of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Senthilkumar, U.; Ritesh, K.C.; Sanjappa, M.; Narasimhan, D.; Uma Shaanker, R.; Ravikanth, G.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Andaman Sea between peninsular India and Indo-Malaya, are part of two of the 34 mega-diversity hotspots of the world. These islands are characterized by their unique vegetation types such as littoral, mangroves, wet and semi-evergreen forests, and rainforests and for being the home for six aboriginal tribes of Negrito and Mongoloid descent. The islands are also home to a number of migrants and “settlers” from the Indian mainland and Myanmar. The aboriginal tribes and the settlers have a long history of association with the island’s bioresources. In this paper, we survey the ethnic uses of rattans, the unique climbing palms, about 63% of which are endemic to these islands. Our ethnobotanical survey revealed several uses of rattans by the Nicobarese and Shompens, the two major ethnic communities of the Nicobar Islands. In this study, besides the ethnic uses, we also estimated the revenue generated among those involved in the rattan trade (collectors, processors, and exporters).
Potential for Value Chain Improvement and Commercialization of Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) for Livelihood Improvement in Uganda
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Barirega, Akankwasah
Physalis peruviana L., commonly referred to as cape gooseberry, is an important crop for income, food, and medicinal applications. The plant is native to Latin America but has since been naturalized other parts of the tropics. In Uganda, this species grows naturally in abandoned bush fallows. While cape gooseberry has been recently identified as a priority plant for commercialization, little is known about its value chain and potential as a cash, food, and or medicinal plant in Uganda. The objectives of this study were therefore to document and characterize the plant’s value chain, assess its demand and supply, and evaluate the contribution of the plant’s trade to the income of traders in Uganda. Primary and secondary data were collected using a market survey, focus group discussions, field observations, and key informants. A total of 120 value chain actors were interviewed in all the major markets of the city of Kampala, Uganda. The study reveals that the value chain of the plant is short but developing with gatherers/farmers, retailers/petty traders, processors, wholesalers, and consumers being the major stakeholders. Most of the cape gooseberry fruit on the market were coming from the districts of Kabale, Mpigi, and Wakiso, with 85% coming from cultivated gardens and 5% collected from the wild. The cape gooseberry fruit were found to have a high demand on the market, with 67% of the value chain actors rating the demand as high. The average weekly sales for the traders interviewed stood at 49 kg. The supply of the fruit to the market was found to be high as well with 86% of the value chain actors rating supply as high. Supply sustainability rating was significantly positively correlated with economic importance rating of the plant at 99% confidence level (Kendall K = 0.545, P < 0.01, n = 120). The mean value of demand rating was not significantly differently to that of supply at 95% level of significance (P < 0.001). Economic potential of cape gooseberry fruit was found to be high with profit margins of 95% recorded for some cape gooseberry products along the value chain. The government of Uganda ought to promote this plant in a poverty reduction campaign due to its high economic potential.
Urban Demand for Wild Foods in Northeast Thailand: A survey of edible wild species sold in the Khon Kaen municipal market
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Shirai, Yuko; Rambo, A. Terry
Rural people in Northeast Thailand consume a wide range of wild species. Little is known, however, about the extent to which the urban populations of the region’s rapidly growing towns and cities consume these products, and no detailed study has been made of the edible wild species that are sold in urban markets. To help fill this knowledge gap, this paper presents findings of a survey about the wild species sold in the main urban market in Khon Kaen Municipality. The survey included identification of all species of plants, fungi, and animals being sold and recording of the quantities and prices of each species. Data were obtained by interviewing vendors selling these products in the market on 18 randomly selected nights in the dry season and 12 nights in the rainy season. The diversity of wild species sold in the market is high. Eighty-one species were identified, of which 54 were plants, 6 were fungi, and 21 were animals. Species diversity was greater in the rainy season, when 65 species were on sale, than in the dry season, when 49 species were available. Plant species were much more diverse in the rainy season than in the dry season, reflecting the better growth conditions for vegetation when water is not a limiting factor. Many species were available only in a specific season. The wild species were obtained from several different habitats. Upland fields were the habitat for the largest number of species, followed by house areas, forests, and paddy fields. Gardens and aquatic ecosystems were habitats for a smaller number of species. The supply-shed for the urban market in Khon Kaen Municipality is quite a large one. Wild species sold in the market are obtained from 8 provinces in the Northeast, although rural areas of Khon Kaen Province itself are the source of the largest number of species. Collection of wild species to supply the urban market can have both negative and positive effects on rural biodiversity in Northeast Thailand. In their desire to earn cash income, villagers may over-exploit some of these species, causing wild populations to decline in numbers or even become locally extinct. On the other hand, villagers may intensify their efforts to cultivate them so as to allow more stable production, thus contributing to biodiversity conservation. This has already begun to happen in the case of some highly valued species.
Ethnopharmacology in the Vicinity of the Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil
(Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014) Conde, Bruno Esteves; Rogerio, Izabela Taiana Salazar; de Siqueira, Aline Moreira; Ferreira, Marina Quintão; Chedier, Luciana Moreira; Pimenta, Daniel Sales
This study aimed to collect ethnopharmacological data in communities in the vicinity of the Botanical Garden of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora regarding the use of medicinal plants, and to scientifically validate the information with the scientific literature, aiming to inform the future planting of a community medicinal garden. Data and botanical material were collected with the population and key informants. The collected material was identified and registered at the CESJ herbarium. The informant community identified 104 medicinal species, with 25 species highlighted for further analysis based on consensus by a subset of key informants. The use-value and agreement regarding the main use of each species were calculated, and the primary use was validated through scientific literature. From statistical analysis and pharmacological confirmations of the listed species, we found that Mentha spicata L., Vernonanthura phosphorica (Vell.) H.Rob., and Gossypium hirsutum L. were considered the most important species relative to use-value among the 25 listed species that could be used in the proposed community medicinal garden. Sixteen species were scientifically confirmed regarding agreement and main use. Among the plants with the highest agreement taking into account the main use index, only V. phosphorica showed no concordance between popular knowledge and academic science.

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