BIOTROPIKA Journal of Tropical Biology
https://biotropika.ub.ac.id/
Vol. 11 | No. 2 | 2023 | DOI: 10.21776/ub.biotropika.2023.011.02.03 ETHNOBOTANY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE SUMBA TRIBE IN CENTRAL
SUMBA REGENCY, EAST NUSA TENGGARA
Ariski Vevi Liswandari1), Sulisetijono1)*, Frida Kunti Setiowati1)
ABSTRACT
The Sumba tribe is a local community that inhabits Sumba Island, one of which is in Central Sumba Regency. The majority of the people of the Sumba Tribe still have close interactions with nature, one of which is still using plants used for traditional medicine. This traditional medicine has been carried out for a long time and has become a tradition passed down from generation to generation in the customs of the Sumba people. This study aims to determine the diversity of plant species used for medicine by the Sumba people, the Use Value Index per species (UVs), and the Index of Cultural Significance (ICS) of medicinal plants in Central Sumba Regency. This study used the snowball sampling method by conducting open-ended interviews. The results of this study have found a diversity of plants that have potential as medicine. It is known that there are 116 species of medicinal plants used by the people of the Sumba tribe for medication. Medicinal plants can be found in the yard of the house. Based on the analysis of UVs, it was found that the species with the highest use value (Andrographis paniculata Ness), had the highest UVs (5.60), while for the ICS analysis, papaya (Carica papaya L.) had the highest ICS value (850).
Keywords: local knowledge, plant diversity, UVs, ICS
INTRODUCTION
Indonesia is a mega-biodiversity country that has a high level of species diversity. Species diversity includes fauna and flora. It is known that the diversity of flora in Indonesia reaches more than 30,000 species, but not all types of plant species have been identified [1]. The main reason for the high diversity of plant species in Indonesia is that it is affected by the geographical conditions crossed by the equator line and has a tropical climate with humid temperatures and high annual rainfall [2]. This condition creates a suitable habitat for many plant species to grow with various uses that the local community can utilise. Generally, local people who have lived in a place for a long time have used different types of plants for some purposes such as medicine, food, customs and household furniture, ropes, dye, retrieved, and preservatives [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
In addition to the abundant biodiversity in Indonesia, it also has a diversity of tribes spread across several regions from Sabang to Merauke [10]. The diversity of tribes in Indonesia causes a variety of plant utilization by local communities [3]. Sujarwo reported that ethnic diversity leads to differences in the local wisdom of traditional medicine use in the community [11]. The relationship between plant use and local communities is analyzed in ethnobotanical studies [12, 13].
Ethnobotanical relations have described and explained the attachment between culture and the use-values of plants, how to use plants, and how to
treat them that provide benefits to humans, for example as food, medicine, cosmetics, clothing dyes, traditional ceremonies and in people's lives [14]. Ethnobotanical studies use local knowledge methods and community habits regarding the use of plants to meet human needs, such as treatment [15], as happened to the Sumba people in Central Sumba Regency, who still use plants for treatment.
Central Sumba Regency is one of the districts in Indonesia which has a large forest area. Many villagers in Central Sumba Regency used medicinal plants as first aid when sick or injured.
With a large forest area, people in Central Sumba have a high chance of exploring various potential medicinal plant species there. As reported by Retang et al. in their study that the medicinal plant diversity was highly found in the Pau Forest, Weluk Praimemang, one of a village in Central Sumba [16].
The use of medicinal plants by the Sumba people (Sumba Tribe) has become a tradition passed down from generation to generation from their ancestors. As revealed by Yowa et al., the knowledge about the use of medicinal plants in the Sumba community was passed down from generation to generation. Moreover, local people who live far from health centers or have limited health facilities in their place prefer to use medicinal plants for first aid that are easily found around them [17].
The use value of medicinal plants in ethnobotany for each species is determined using the Use Value index per species (UVs), where this
Submitted : May, 28 2023 Accepted : June, 12 2023
Authors affiliation:
1)Department of Biology, Universitas Negeri Malang
Correspondence email:
How to cite:
Liswandari, AV, Sulisetijono, Setiowati FK. 2023. Ethnobotany of medicinal plants of the Sumba Tribe in Central Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Biotropika:
Journal of Tropical Biology 11 (2): 84-93.
calculation is for each medicinal plant species that have been found. The UVs is calculated based on Phillips & Gentry formula [18], while the categorisation in UVs refers to Hoffman &
Galleher [19]. The UVs value is based on each respondent who uses medicinal plants. UVs can classify the most important species, leading to conservation efforts. The highest UVs value indicates that the species is most widely used [20].
Meanwhile, the Index of Cultural Significance (ICS) is used to determine the utilisation of plant diversity and its importance to the community. The ICS value refers to the formula from Turner [21].
The highest ICS value category illustrates that there has been a diversity of medicinal plant species and indicates that the medicinal plant species have an important value for people's lives [22].
Based on the explanation above, research was conducted on local knowledge of the use of medicinal plants by the Sumba Tribe in Central Sumba Regency. Because some areas in Central Sumba Regency still have inadequate health facilities, people tend to use medicinal plants as their primary choice when sick. This study aims to 1) explore the diverse uses of medicinal plants used by the Sumba people in Central Sumba as traditional medicine; 2) know the UVs and ICS values of medicinal plants in Central Sumba Regency.
METHODS
Time and area of study. This research was conducted at 12 villages distributed in Central Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia,
from September-December 2022. These villages were Makata Keri, Anakalang, Dasa Elu, Manurara, Umbu Pabal, Anapalu, Padira Tana, Ngadu Olu, Wangga Waiyengu, Wendewa Barat and Manu Wolu. The research village was determined to be based in a village with medicinal plant potential. In general, the astronomical coordinates of the research location were 119°24' 56.26"-120°50-55.29" East Longitude and 9°20'38.31-9°50 38.86" South Latitude (Figure 1).
The area of Central Sumba Regency consists of several parts, such as the north and south are coastal areas, and the centre is a highland hill area, with the highest point at 913 m above sea level.
Central Sumba district has a land slope of 14-40°
to the north and a tropical savanna climate with two climates, dry and rainy [23].
Data collecting. A social survey was carried out employing open interviews. It was guided by a list of questions and filling out a questionnaire about the utilisation of plants, how they are used, and the efficacy and existence of medicinal plants.
The research respondents were the people of the Sumba Tribe, which amounted to 373 people.
Respondents were determined using the snowball sampling technique [24]. Respondents consisted of key respondents and non-key respondents. Key respondents were village elders, tribal chiefs, and village shamans who have experience in using medicinal plants and could help treat the community when sick. In contrast, non-key respondents were indigenous Sumba people in 12 villages. Data on local knowledge about the use of medicinal plants by the Sumba tribe was obtained based on interviews and questionnaires.
Figure 1. Map of research locations
Data analysis. The research used qualitative data analysis and quantitative data. Qualitative data in the form of a description of the types of medicinal plants in Central Sumba Regency.
Quantitative data in the form of UVs and ICS values.
Use Value Index per species (UVs). UVs was calculated based on the formula [18]:
𝑈𝑉𝑠= ∑ 𝑈𝑉𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑖𝑠 Information:
UVis : The use value of a particular species (i) conveyed by the informant
nis : Total number of interviews with informant (i) for each plant species (s) The UVs score of the classification consists of four categories, including very important species, important species (prioritized), unimportant species, and unused species: very important species, important (priority) species, non-priority species, and species not used [15]. A high UVs
score illustrates that the species has a high use value, meaning that the species is often used by the community for medicinal purposes (Table 1).
Table 1. Categorisation of UVs value
No Category Interval Value
1 Very important species >6 UVs ≤9 2 Important species
(prioritized)
3> UVs ≤6 3 Non-priority species >1 UVs <3
4 Species not used 0
[19]
Index of cultural significance (ICS). ICS analysis is calculated based on the formula from Turner [20] as follows:
𝐼𝐶𝑆 = ∑ (𝑞 ∗ 𝑖 ∗ 𝑒)
𝑛 𝑖−1
Information:
q : quality value
i : intensity value (5 = very high intensity, 4
= high intensity, 3 = moderate intensity, 2
= low intensity, 1 = very low intensity) e : exclusivity value (2 = most preferred, 1 =
selected species, 0.5 = secondary material) n : number of respondents
The score of ICS was classified into six categories (Table 2). A high ICS value means a species had a variety of uses. And vice versa, if the ICS value was low, the plant species had low utilisation. The value of the ICS was retrieved from interviews and questionnaires to respondents.
Table 2. Categorisation of ICS value
No Category Value
1 Very high >100
2 High 50-99
3 Medium 20-49
4 Low 5-19
5 Very low 1-4
6 None 0
[25]
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Species diversity of medicinal plants utilised by the Sumba community. The results of this study identified 116 species with 50 families of medicinal plants (Table 3). The most family found was Euphorbiaceae (6.03%) and other families ranged from (1% - 5.17%). Generally, the people of Sumba often utilize plants around their yards for traditional medicine. The people of Sumba have utilized a variety of medicinal plants based on the properties of the plants, but the knowledge of the properties of the plants is not enough.
Use Value Index per species (UVs) of medicinal plants utilised by the Sumba community. Based on the result, the UVs of medicinal plants in Central Sumba Regency ranged between 0.50 to 5.60. The highest UVs was shown by Andrographis paniculata species (5.60), followed by Allium sativum (5.50) and Swietenia macrophylla King. (5.25). The high UVs indicates the number of people who know the efficacy and utilise plants for treatment. The three plant species with high UVs above are types of medicinal plants often used by the community because these plants are easy to find in the house yard, and most people plant these plants. The low UVs value was observed in the species Capsicum annuum L.
(0.50), followed by Myrmecodia pendens (1.00) and Cucumis sativus L. (1.00). The fact that people in Sumba generally do not use these plants for treatment but for other purposes influences the low UVs value. Based on the classification of UVs, medicinal plants obtained in this study are categorised into important species (96 species), non-priority species (19 species), and not used species (1 species) (Figure 2). This assessment category shows the level of use of each medicinal plant species.
The high value of the UVs indicates that the plant has a high use value, meaning that the public widely knows the plant, and people tend to use it when sick. As with research conducted by Lusiana, P. guajava had the highest value, followed by mabo (Blumea balsamifera L.DC) and engkodok (Melastoma candidum) [26]. In this study, the people in Dange Aji Village used P. guajava to cure stomachaches, and this is in line with the
results of scientific research, which stated that the P. guajava plant contains vitamin C [27] and several compounds between secondary metabolites [28] so that P. guajava has the potential to be used
as an upset stomach medicine. Sujarwo reported that Z. officinale Roxb. and C. asiatica (L) Urban are among the herbal medicines that indigenous Balinese often use for herbal drinks [11].
Table 3. UVs and ICS values of medicinal plants found in the study area
No Local name Scientific name UVs ICS
1 Pepaya (Kawolu djawa, karabu) Carica papaya L. 4.67 *850
2 Lengkuas (Langguahau, langguaha) Alpinia galangal 4.93 **650
3 Jambu Biji (Mondi djawa) Psidium guajava L. 4.31 ***620
4 Kunyit Putih (Kunyi kaka) Curcuma zedoaria 3.84 602
5 Sirsak (Naga jawa, karatunga jawa) Annona muricata L. 4.30 573
6 Jarak (Padamu, madamu) Jatropha curcas L. 4.14 550
7 Jahe (Halia) Zingiber officinale 4.61 490
8 Kirinyuh (Taikabala) Chromolaena odorata 4.25 450
9 Mahoni Swietenia macrophylla King. ###5.25 450
10 Damar Agathis dammara 4.40 430
11 Kencur (Hekur) Kaempferia galanga Linn. 5.00 400
12 Afrika Vernonia amygdalina 3.93 395
13 Kumis Kucing Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. 4.30 359
14 Sirih Hutan (Kutta Kalara) Piper sp. 5.00 310
15 Mengkudu (Kambuh) Morinda citrifolia 2.55 308
16 Serai Cymbopogon nardus L. 4.93 290
17 Binahong Anredera cordifolia L. 4.78 261
18 Singkong (Ubi) Manihot esculenta C. 3.67 258
19 Genoak Acous calamus L. 4.69 250
20 Mentimun Cucumis sativus L. 1.00 250
21 Madinu/ Andinu Melochia umbellata 4.38 250
22 Cocor Bebek Kalanchoe pinnata L. 5.00 240
23 Temulawak (Sekur) Curcuma zanthorrhiza L. 5.00 238
24 Kepuh (Kepok Hutan) Sterculia foetida Linn. 2.91 230
25 Heduk/ seduk Wrightia pubescens R Br. 4.00 210
26 Pohon Pulai (Rita) Alstonia scholaris (L) R. Br 3.71 210
27 Bawang Merah (Lahona rara) Allium cepa L 3.67 210
28 Kelapa (Nyau) Cocos nucifera L. 4.00 182
29 Kelor Moringa oleifera Lam 3.11 180
30 Alpukat Persea americana Mill 4.50 172
31 Bawang Putih (Lahona kaka) Allium sativum L. ##5.50 170
32 Sambiloto, Sambilata Andrographis paniculata Ness #5.60 155
33 Jeruk Nipis (Mundi) Citrus aurantifolia Swingle 5.00 150
34 Jahe Merah Zingiber officinale Rosc. 5.00 150
35 Pisang Musa paradisiaca L 2.43 130
36 Kesambi Schleichera oleosa Merr 3.50 130
37 Hamoi/ Halai Alstonia spectabilis R. Br 4.00 120
38 Serai Telon Cymbopogon nardus 4.60 120
39 Kihi/ Kenari Canarium acutifolium (DC.) Merr 3.67 116
40 Pare Hutan (Pria Hutan) Momordica charantia L. 5.00 110
41 Kandara Caesalpinia sappan L. 1.00 100
42 Cinta Buah Phyllanthus niruri L. 5.00 100
43 Dadap Serep Erythrina subumbrans 4.00 100
44 Boru Ekebergia capensis 5.00 100
45 Asam Tamarindus indica 4.23 98
46 Gamal Gliricidia maculata 3.17 98
47 Alang Imperata cylindrica (L.) 2.25 94
48 Turi Sesbania grandiflora L. 3.40 93
49 Jeringau (Hiku Hutan) Acorus calamus L 4.00 86
50 Jambu mente Anacardium occidentale Linn. 4.00 80
51 Mint Mentha arvensis L. 4.00 80
52 Waru Hibiscus tiliaceus Crisnanto, E. 5.00 80
53 Malayu Roo Clausema lansium (Lour.) Skeels 5.00 80
54 Cendana Santalum album L 3.67 80
55 Kelapa Merah Cocos nucifera L 2.75 72
56 Bambu Bambusa sp. 3.00 72
57 Pinang Areca catechu L 3.50 70
58 Linu Grewia laevigata Vahl 1.75 70
59 Sukun Artocarpus communis 4.00 70
60 Nggay/ Cimung Timonius timon (Spreng.) Merr. 3.00 70
61 Sarang Semut (Katiku Mbotu) Myrmecodia pendens 1.00 66
62 Kopi Coffea sp. 4.50 66
No Local name Scientific name UVs ICS
63 Bunga Terompet Brugmansia candida (Pers) Saff. 3.33 62
64 Ciplukan (Hapopu) Physalis angulata L. 4.50 62
65 Alak Uvaria concava Teijsm. & Binn. 3.00 60
66 Daun Kesi Talipariti macrophyllus 2.00 60
67 Nimba Azadirachta indica A.H.J. Juss. 5.00 60
68 Cabai Capsicum annuum L. 0.50 52
69 Widuri Atau Biduri (Rogolo) Calotropis gigantea (L) Dryand. 5.00 50
70 Jarak Merah Jatropha gossypiifolia L. 4.00 50
71 Bajakah Spatholobus littoralis Hassk. 5.00 50
72 Kayu Manis Cinnamomum burmannii (Nees &Th. Nees) 5.00 50
73 Raukuta (Sirih) Piper betle L. 4.32 50
74 Tada Bila (Kulit Pohon Maja) Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. Serr. 5.00 50
75 Gaharu Putih Aquilaria moluccensis Oken 5.00 50
76 Daun Amandel/ Daun Pecut Kuda Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (L.) Vahl. 5.00 50 77 Labu Hutan/ Blingo Benincasa pruriens (Parkinson) De Wild. & Duyfje 5.00 44 78 Redia pitaltapu (Anakalang) Pseuderanthemum acuminatissimum (Miq.) Benoist 5.00 40
79 Pau omang (Anakalang) Mangifera gedebe Miq. 2.00 40
80 Pare Momordica charantia L. 4.00 40
81 Rumput Teki Cyperus rotundus Linn. 5.00 40
82 Katuk Sauropus androgynous (L.) Merr. 2.00 40
83 Kemiri (Kawilu) Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd. 5.24 40
84 Mangacu Apu Albizia procera (Roxb.) Bent. 4.00 40
85 Halela Desmodium latifolium (ker. Garwl.) DC 4.00 40
86 Kersen Muntingia calabura 3.67 40
87 Daun Salam Syzygium polyanthum 5.00 40
88 Tomat Lycopersicum esculentum Mill. 4.33 39
89 Nangka Artocarpus heterophyllus L. 3.00 35
90 Talas Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. 3.00 30
91 Bandotan (Kabanga) Ageratum conyzoides L. 3.33 30
92 Nanas Ananas comosus 3.00 30
93 Kemangi Ocimum basilicum 3.00 30
94 Kapoha Mbiu Hyptis sp. 3.00 30
95 Tembakau Nicotiana tabacum L. 3.50 30
96 Kacang Tanah Arachis hypogaea Linn. 2.00 29
97 Putri Malu Mimosa pudica Linn. 3.50 28
98 Daun Ramayana Coleus scutellarioides 3.00 24
99 Beringin Ficus benjamina L. 3.00 24
100 Pegagang (Huhunani) Centella asiatica (L) Urban 5.00 20
101 Buah Kancing Dischidia nummularia 4.00 20
102 Daun Merah Euphorbia hirta 3.50 20
103 Lamtoro Leucaena leucocephala 2.00 20
104 Bunga Sepatu Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. 5.00 20
105 Pisang Pendek Musa acuminata 2.00 20
106 Tebu Merah Saccharum officinarum L. 2.00 20
107 Pakis Pteris vittata 3.00 20
108 Beluntas Pluchea indica (L.) Less. 3.88 18
109 Haboli Rhus typhina L. 1.00 16
110 Gandaru Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk. 3.67 16
111 Keladi Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. 5.00 15
112 Mangga Mangifera indica 4.00 12
113 Lidah Buaya Aloe vera (L.) Brum f. 4.00 12
114 Bayam merah, Bayam rara Amaranthus tricolor L. 1.00 10
115 Jagung Zea mays L. 3.00 9
116 Seledri Apium graveolens L. 1.00 8
Notes: *: 1st ICS value, **: 2nd ICS value, and ***: 3rd ICS value -- #:1st UVs value, ##: 2nd UVs value, and 3rd UVs value
Figure 2. Categories of UVs values and the number of medicinal plant species utilised by the Sumba Tribe in Central Sumba Regency
0
96
19
1 0
20 40 60 80 100 120
Very Important Species important Species Non-priority Species Not Used Species Value of UVs
Categories of UVs
Index of cultural significance (ICS) of medicinal plants utilised by the Sumba community. This study showed that the ICS ranged from 8-850 (Table 3). Carica papaya L.
was the species with the highest ICS value (850), then followed by Alpinia galangal (650) and Psidium guajava L. (620). The high ICS value of medicinal plant species indicates the various benefit of that species in the community. Besides that, plant species availability that is easy to find is one of the factors which cause people to tend to use it daily. In the daily life of the Sumba people, C.
papaya L. is used to treat diarrhoea. They boiled the water and papaya leaves and then drank it for treatment. Boiling the leaves does not reduce the content of chemical compounds (tannins) because tannins have water-soluble properties. Besides that, C. papaya L. also contains saponins, alkaloids, and flavonoids [28]. This plant has the potential to become cure diarrhoea, as stated by Permatasari et al. in their case study at Baturraden, Banyumas Regency [28].
Based on the results of research conducted by Permatasari et al. [28], they were revealed that P.
guajava L., A. galangal L., and C. papaya L. are classified as medicinal plant species that were most commonly used by the Baturaden district to overcome minor ailments such as stomach pain, fever, etc. According to Sambrana et al. [29], P.
guajava L, A. galangal L, and C. papaya L were a group of traditional medicinal plants used by the people of Merdeka Village, East Kupang Subdistrict.
The lowest ICS value was found in A.
graveolens L. (8), followed by Z. mays L. (9) and A. tricolor L. (10). The lack of community knowledge about the efficacy of medicinal plants influences the low ICS value. Another cause that
supports the low ICS value is that the people of Sumba have used these plants not for traditional medicine but for other uses.
Based on the results of the research conducted, they were categorised as very high (44 species), high (32 species), medium (31 species), and low (9 species) (Figure 3). That shows that medicinal plants used by the people of Sumba have a very high cultural value.
Species diversity of medicinal plants utilised by the Sumba community. Many medicinal plants in Central Sumba were found planted near living places; 75% were found in home yards, forests (14%), buying in the market (8%), fields (3%), and gardens (1%) (Figure 4). It was not surprising because the Sumba people habitually planted various useful plants surrounding their homes. It was a tradition from generation to generation for a long time. According to Hakim, planting some medicinal plants in the garden and yard was one of the efforts in biodiversity conservation [30].
According to Njurumana, 145 plant species with 52 families were found and cultivated by the people of Central Sumba in their home garden system.
People also planted many crops in their yards to fulfil their needs. One of them was used for traditional medicine [31]. Traditional medicine practices using medicinal plants in Central Sumba Regency are relatively high because the public health facilities and infrastructure are still insufficient. So, people have the idea to plant and maintain several plant species to be used as medicine plant sources to support their life needs.
Many locals still believe in and use medicinal plants as first aid when sick or injured. Even when the community has consumed medicine from a doctor, they also consume traditional medicine.
Figure 3. Categories ICS values of medicinal plants in Central Sumba Regency
44
32 31
9
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Value of ICS
Categories of ICS
Very High High Medium Low Very Low None
Figure 4. Origin of the medicinal plant
Based on the results of the study, it was known that some medicinal plants were found in the home garden, including C. papaya L., P. guajava L., A.
galangal L., Z. mays L., J. curcas L., M. oleifera Lam., etc. While the plants found in the forest were not all people can take it. That is because there are several customary traditions for collecting plants used for medicine. Only certain people can carry out this tradition, such as village elders and village shamans who have had wills passed down from generation to generation from their ancestors. In general, sirih (Piper bettle) is used as a condition for the collection of some plants in the forest. Some plants found in the forest are Piper sp., S.
macrophylla King, S. foetida Linn, A. calamus L., A. scholaris (L.) R. Br, etc. Medicinal plants that can be bought in the market include Z. officinale, C. zedoaria, L. esculentum Mill., Coffea sp., etc.
While medicinal plants found in the fields include C. odorata, C. rotundus Linn, I. cylindrica L., etc.
Medicinal plants found in the garden are Bambusa sp.
Local people's knowledge of medicinal plants in Central Sumba Regency. Local knowledge of medicinal plants in the community can be considered high based on research in Central Sumba Regency. The high level of people’s knowledge can be seen in Table 3. There were 116 species of medicinal plants used by the people for medicine. The local knowledge of medicinal plants was the highest in the village of Padira Tana, where 41 species of medicinal plants had been identified (Figure 5). There were more medicinal plants in Padira Tana village because it was far from a public health facility. The village area is surrounded by forest and borders the forest areas of Manupeu Tanah Daru and Laiwangi Wanggameti National Park, so there is a lot of potential for high plant diversity. These causes encourage people to
consume more medicinal plants when sick.
Frequent consumption of medicinal plants triggers memory and habits to use them, creating a sense of dependence. However, the side effect is considered to be fewer and safe to consume.
Whereas in the Makata Keri Village area, knowledge of medicinal plants is lower. The cause of the lack of local knowledge about the utilisation of medicinal plants is that most people have begun to switch to consuming medical drugs when sick.
The triggering thing is that the village area is close to the center of the district capital, close to the public health center and regional public hospital (RSUD Kabupaten Sumba Tengah). However, some people still use medicinal plants, and most of them are older people. The use of medicinal plants has become a tradition that cannot be separated from people's lives. Based on research conducted by Kusumanegara et al., the use of medicinal plants in the Manupeu Tanah Daru and Laiwangi Wanggameti National Parks is quite diverse, with 164 known species of medicinal plants that have been use by rural communities adjoining the national park area in the East Sumba region and Central Sumba. Many species of medicinal plants have been found, and it is known that the people of the Sumba Tribe still have confidence in using plants for treatment [32]. Medicinal plant use was also found in Kayukebek Village, which uses several medicinal plants to overcome minor illnesses, for example, headaches, fever, stomach pain, eye pain, and others [33]. This is also not much different from the people of Sumba, who use several medicinal plants to treat minor ailments. If they suffer from clinical illness, most of them go to the hospital, but when in the hospital, the people of Sumba also use medicinal plants for medicine.
In reality, not all people know about the utilization of medicinal plants among the younger
Forest 14%
Garden 1%
Fields 2%
Home garden 75%
Market 8%
Figure 5. Total species of medicinal plants used in some villages at Central Sumba Regency
generation in Central Sumba. Most of the people who utilize medicinal plants are assisted by some village healers and their parents. The younger generation is not the one who mixes themselves.
There is no educational demand that all children should understand the medicinal system, and families cannot develop the interest and motivation of the younger generation to preserve local knowledge. According to Saosa, the lack of development of existing local knowledge triggers the loss of local knowledge on the utilization of medicinal plants [34].
CONCLUSION
This study aims to document local knowledge regarding the use of medicinal plants owned by the Sumba people in Central Sumba Regency. It is known that until now, the people of the Sumba tribe believe in and use medicinal plants when sick.
Another thing that drives the frequent use of medicinal plants is the limited facilities and reach to access to health. It has become a tradition passed down from generation to generation. The existence of medicinal plants in the house yard makes it easier for people to use medicinal plants; the community uses medicinal plants as many as 116 species. The highest species use value (UVs) of Sambiloto (A. paniculata Ness.) (5.60), while the highest cultural value of medicinal plant species (ICS) is 850 for papaya species (C. papaya L).
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author would like to thank the people of Sumba Trible in Central Sumba Regency, as well
as various parties from the Manupeu Tanah Daru and Laiwangi Wanggametti National Park who have provided the time, energy, licensing, and information needed in the research.
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