Ethnobotanical Study and Plant Dimension Classification in Kwan Phayao Community Areas, Phayao Province, Thailand

Abstract

This ethnobotanical study is conducted between June 2019 and March 2020 in Kwan Phayao community areas, Phayao Province. This study has been performed in five community markets around the Kwan Phayao market including, the Mae Sai, Ban Bua, Ban Tun, Ban Sang and San Bua Bok markets. The primary objectives of the study are to explore diversity and collect data of ethnobotanical in the communities around Kwan Phayao. The plant utilization is studied based on semi-structured interviews with three local herbalists as well as questionnaires from 25 people regarding usages of plants. The field surveys recorded 99 species and 78 genera of utilization plants form a total of 35 families. The family Fabaceae is the most used plant family representing 12.12% of all the plant species recorded by this study followed by Solanaceae Cucurbitaceae and Euphorbiaceae with 7.07%. The plants are classified as herbs (n=46), climbers (=19) shrubs (n=18), trees (n=12), scandents (n=3), and one fern. The plant utilization has been divided into two categories: 99 medical plants and 87 edible species. Leaves are most commonly (21%) followed by roots at 16%, shoots at 13%, flowers and fruits at 11%, stems at 9%, whole plants at 7%, seeds at 5%, bark and rhizome at 2%, and other 1%. A high cultural importance index (CI) is found in Centella asiatica (L.) Urb followed by Cymbopogon citratus Stapf, Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd., Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Citrus hystrix DC. with CI values of 1.42 1.32 1.24 1.22, and 1.22 respectively