Indigenous knowledge of plant use among the Co Tu people in the Tay Giang area, Da Nang city

Abstract

The Co Tu people are an ethnic group that has long resided in the Truong Son - Tay Nguyen region and belong to the Mon-Khmer language group. Research results on plant-use knowledge of the Co Tu people in Tay Giang area (formerly Quang Nam province, now Da Nang city) have recorded 176 species of vascular plants used for various purposes: 112 medicinal plants (63.63%); 56 edible vegetables and fruits (31.81%); 20 species used for fermentation starters and alcohol maceration (11.36%); 15 species used for weaving (handicrafts and food wrapping) (8.52%); 11 timber species for house and floor construction (6.25%); 3 poisonous species (1.7%); 2 dye plants (1.13%); 2 species used as materials for making musical instruments (1.13%); and 8 species used for spiritual and other purposes (4.54%). The study also recorded the diversity of plant parts used, in which leaves were the most frequently utilised (31.81%), followed by tubers and roots (29.54%), while resin and seeds were the least used (3.41%).