Ethnobotanical study of edible underground storage organ plants in Youjiang District, Baise City, Guangxi, China.

Authors

Yuefeng Zhang, Piyaporn Saensouk, Lingling Lv, Tammanoon Jitpromma, Surapon Saensouk

Published in

Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine. Jul 20, 2026. Epub Jul 20, 2026.

Abstract

Edible underground storage organ (USO) plants are important components of traditional food systems and local healthcare, yet their ethnobotanical roles remain insufficiently documented in many regions. This study investigates the diversity, utilization, and ethnomedicinal significance of USO plants in Youjiang District, Guangxi, China.
Ethnobotanical data were collected in 2025 through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and field surveys involving 60 informants, including key informants recognized for their knowledge of local edible plants. Plant specimens were collected and taxonomically identified. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices, including Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), were applied to evaluate the cultural importance and medicinal consensus of recorded species.
A total of 50 USO plant species belonging to 24 genera and 13 families were documented, with Zingiberaceae as the dominant family. Native species accounted for 72%, and rhizomes were the most common storage organ type. USO plants were used across multiple categories, particularly as medicine (39 species), vegetables (24 species), condiments (20 species), and staple foods (18 species). The highest UV was recorded for Allium sativum L. (0.883). FL values ranged from 6.67% to 100%, and ICF values from 0.750 to 1.000, indicating strong agreement among informants. Most remedies were prepared from fresh materials and administered orally.
USO plants in Youjiang District function as important biocultural resources that support local food practices and traditional healthcare. The high diversity of native and multifunctional species, together with strong ethnomedicinal consensus among informants, highlights the importance of conserving both plant resources and associated traditional knowledge. These findings provide a baseline for future nutritional, pharmacological, and sustainable utilization studies of culturally important USO species.

PMID:
42472804
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Jul 2026.

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