Research On Ethnobotany Of Yao Nationality In Jianghua, Hunan

The Yao ethnic group,with a long history and splendid culture,has a rich and diverse traditional utilization of various plants and plant ecological knowledge.Jianghua Yao Autonomous County in Hunan Province is the region with the largest Yao population in China.Here,the suitable climate has bred abundant plants.In the long-term process of mutual adaptation with nature,the hard-working and wise Yao people have developed rich traditional plant utilization related ecological knowledge.However,up to now,researches about the Yao focus on the social science such as its history,culture.religion and belief,and the natural scientific researches are also limited to the medicinal system.On the other hand,the research region is limited to Jinxiu and Gongcheng in Guangxi,the few studies on Jianghua only mentioned about its medicinal market during the Dragon Boat Festival.Worse still,the long-standing and profound culture of the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua is threated by the unprecedented impacts from economic development,modern lifestyle,ethnic integration,etc.It is emergently urgent to rescue and protect the excellent t traditional plant utilization related ecological knowledge of the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua.Therefore,we conducted ethnobotanical survey to investigate a comprehensive and systematic study on the traditional plant utilization of the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County,Hunan Province.The purpose of this study is to explore the background of the traditional plant utilization of the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua,evaluate its present situation,and to document the traditioanal ecological knowledge and culture that is losing rapidly.In this study,ninety-five Yao people aged between 20 to 87 were interviewed by using the methods of key informant interview,semi-structured interview,participatory observation,market survey and snowball rolling.After taxonomic identification and data analysis,ethnobotanical documentary was invented.In total,536 plants(including subspecies and varieties),belonging to 192 families and 360 genera,that traditionally used by the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua were recorded;(2)A total of 394 medicinal plant species from 296 genera in 122 families were recorded,of which,219 species are herbaceous plants,accounting for 55.84%;the whole plants(43.91%)species can be used as medicine;34.52%are used for treating traumatic injury and 32.99%for clearing-heat and detoxification;Fifteen formulas of medicinal bath plants commonly used by the Yao people in Jianghua were recorded;(3)More than half of the wild edible plants can be used as medicine,with high potential medicinal value,they be used as medical and food homologous plants for developing health care products;(4)A total of 119 species of wild edible plants(WEPs)belonging to 80 genera in 48 families were recorded,among which,48 have edible fruits,accounting for 40.34%;most of WEPs direct can be consumed directly,other processing and preparation ways are stir-fry,boiling,soaking in alcohol and brewing;during famine,fern rhizome is an important source of starch;(4)Most of the 78 ornamental plants species,from 61 genera in 44 families were recorded,have beautiful flowers or shape;Thirty-four species of the 59 woody plants are arbors,accounting for 44%of the ornamental plants.With beautiful tree shape and luxuriant branches and leaves,woody plants are of high ornamental value;ornamental plants also have other use as well as ecological and aesthetic value meanwhile;(5)Nine species of dyeing plants,from 9 genera of 9 families were recorded,among which five are used for dying food through soaking and boiling;Baba,the rice cake dyed by Gardenia jasminoides Ellis can be preserved for more than 40 days under room temperature;(6)Sixty timber plants species from 37 genera in 25 families were recorded,they can be used for building houses,making furniture,farm tools and living appliances;The plants from Fagaceae excellent as timber because they are dense.The most popular plants in Jianghua are Cunninghamia lanceolata(Lamb.)Hook.and Pinus massoniana Lamb.Oil extracted from Vernicia fordii(Hemsl.)Airy Shaw seeds is useful in preventing corrosion and insect damage of woody appliances.The conclusions of this study are as follows;(1)The traditionally used plant resources of the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua is diverse and abundant,which can be divided into five categories:medicinal plants,wild edible plants,ornamental plants,dye plants and timber plants;(2)The Yao ethnic group in Jianghua has formed a unique traditional medicine system,where all the Yao people make use of medicinal plants,mostly herbs,freshly and entirely;Medicinal baths are popular to prevent disease and improve the resistance of puerpera and new babies,the formulas of medicinal bath plants are aimed to enhance the efficacy;(4)Dyeing plants are mainly used for food dyeing by the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua,which is conducive to increasing fragrance and prolonging food preservation period;the color shade is related to dyeing time and temperature;(5)The plants traditionally used by the Yao people in Jianghua have mutliple usages and ecological value;(6)The traditional ecological knowledge related to plants possessed by the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua is facing the threat of loss,which is emergent to be recorded,preserved,inherited and protected scientifically.The innovation and significance of this study are as follows:(1)A comprehensive ethnobotanical study on the traditionally used plants by the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua was carried out,and the frequently used ornamental plants,dye plants and their dyeing processes,timber plants and their products were investigated and inventoried for the first time,which can provide the basis for the follow-up studies;(2)The folk used medicinal plants by the Yao ethnic group in Jianghua including those from medicinal market during the Dragon Boat Festival,were inventoried so as to expand research on medicinal plants,the commonly used medicinal bath plants recipes were recorded;(3)Significant for rescuing the plant related traditional ecological knowledge,technology and culture that are about to be lost,preserving plant genetic resources as much as possible;(4)Learning from the experience of traditional plant utilization and ecosystem management.and apply them to biodiversity conservation,ecosystem service function maintenance and global response to climate change,as well as to promote the sustainable development of human and natural ecosystems.