Ethnobotany of the Alas Tribe, Indonesia, a taxonomic family-based analysis of plant use and cultural significance
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Abstract. Hartono A, Indriaty, Suwardi AB, Sari N, Nugroho W, Ladisa S, Rasuna A, Fauziani. 2026. Ethnobotany of the Alas Tribe, Indonesia, a taxonomic family-based analysis of plant use and cultural significance. Asian J Ethnobiol 9: y090108. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjethnobiol/y090108. This study investigates the ethnobotanical knowledge of the Alas Tribe in Southeast Aceh, Indonesia, focusing on patterns of plant use by taxonomic family and their cultural significance. Data were collected through interviews with 25 key informants and analyzed using quantitative indices including Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Cultural Significance Index (CSI), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). We documented 35 species belonging to 21 families, with Arecaceae, Zingiberaceae, and Crassulaceae being the most represented. Plant uses were classified into medicine (45.7%), food (22.9%), and ritual (31.4%) categories. Among the most culturally salient species were Curcuma longa (RFC 0.522), Areca catechu (RFC 0.377), and Kalanchoe pinnata (RFC 0.45; CSI 20; EICS 80). Ritual contexts such as aqiqah (ICF 0.981) and housewarming ceremonies (ICF 0.977) showed the highest informant consensus, reflecting deeply shared symbolic traditions. The predominance of medicinal and ritual uses highlights the integration of healing and spirituality in Alas daily life. The identification of A. catechu and K. pinnata as culturally important taxa suggests their role as keystone species within the Alas biocultural heritage. These findings contribute new insights into Southeast Asian ethnobotany by integrating family-level taxonomic perspectives with quantitative indices. Although limited by a small number of informants and restricted geographic scope, this study offers practical implications for conservation planning and ethnopharmacological research, particularly in identifying culturally keystone taxa for community-based biodiversity management.
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