Ethnobotanical Studies On Wild Plant Resources Of Ejina

Ethnobotanical knowledge which results from interrelationship between the Mongolians in Ejina and desert wild plant resources are including the indigenous knowledge on food, medicinal, forage and cultural use of wild plants. Plant folk names of Ejina Mongolians have own structure, types and methods of nomenclature. More than 129 folk names are corresponding to 93 wild plants species. Plant folk names have strong scientific features. It have conservation and applying value owing to their directive function that it still used by Ejina Mongolians to recognize, manage and to use local wild plant resources at present. Ejina Mongolians traditional edible wild plants includs five species of grains, eight species of wild vegetable and seven species of edible wild fruits. There are 4 kind of traditional food from the seeds of Agriophyllum pungens. Allium mongolicum and Pugionium cornutum are the most popular wild vegetables among Ejina Mongolians. Elaeagnus angustifolia is one of the wild fruit which contains abundant nutriments. Wild plants can not only moderate and balance the traditional food structure, but also provide useful materials for research and exploitation of food which have characteristics of desert area. There are 20 species of wild plants used for medicine by indigenous Ejina Mongolians and 4 species used as bromatherapy, in which the use of Cistanche deserticola and Cynomoricum songaricum is same as traditional medicine of other nationalities. But the use of Phragmites australis and Tamarix ramosissima should belong to new materials. Ejina Mongolians traditioanal knowledge on wild forage plants is the core contents of their traditional Botanical knowledge system. The local Mongol herdsmen know forage plants well. The author inventoried 24 species of the main forage plants for camel and 25 species for sheep and goat. The fallen leaves of Populus euphratica and Elaeagnus angustifolia contained nutritions richly. They used as important extra fodder in winter and spring by indigenous Mongol herdsman. The leaves are playing important roles in desert oasis and adjacent area. It should belong to first-rate forage plants in Ejina. Herdsmen have rich knowledge to poisonous plants, especially have known and utilized the poisonous plant Sophora alopecuroides dialectically. Ejina Mongolians traditional knowledge of utilizing forage plant resources not only plays a role in long history, but also support the desert husbandry now. Wild plants related to Ejina Mongolian religious belief and folk literature, , which have a value of bio-cultural diversity and utilization. Ejina Mongolian traditional knowledge on use of wild plant resources have become a system, which is the outstanding component of the Mongolian culture and contributions to human natural culture. Traditional knowledge and relevant culture on plants of Ejina Mongolians have substantial contents of scientific, rationality and practicability, the further research and application will be needed.