DIVERSITY AND ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF MEDICINAL ZINGIBERACEAE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26877/bioma.v15i2.4220Keywords:
Ethnobotany, Pati, Traditional medicine, ZingiberaceaeAbstract
This study aims to document medicinal Zingiberaceae taxa and examine patterns of plant-part use, preparation, administration, and acquisition in Tambakromo, Pati, Central Java. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted from February to March 2025 in Karangmulyo, Keben, Sinomwidodo, and Angkatan Kidul Villages. Data were collected through structured face-to-face interviews with 13 community informants, field observations, documentation, and plant identification using botanical literature. The informants comprised 10 women and 3 men aged 41–84 years. Twelve Zingiberaceae taxa were documented. Field surveys recorded the highest number of individual plants for ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) (n = 34), followed by Javanese turmeric (Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb.) (n = 30), turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) (n = 27), and galangal (Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd.) (n = 26). Informant citation analysis showed that turmeric had the highest Frequency of Citation (FC = 9; RFC = 0.692), followed by Javanese turmeric and aromatic ginger (FC = 7; RFC = 0.538 each). Rhizomes dominated plant-part records (87.9%), boiling was the most common preparation method (54.5%), and drinking was the predominant route of administration (72.7%). Home cultivation was the main source of acquisition (49%).
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