Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by Jinuo people in Yunnan, China

Abstract

Traditional medicine is rooted in knowledge systems developed over time across diverse cultures, serving as an important source of healthcare practices and therapeutic methods. Ethnic medicine, in particular, reflects rich experience in the use of medicinal plants and has significant practical value. The medicinal plants of the Jinuo people and their associated traditional knowledge are an important part of China’s ethnomedical system, yet systematic studies are still limited. This study therefore conducts an ethnobotanical survey in Jinuo communities to document and analyze their use of medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. The fieldwork was conducted from October 2021 to June 2025 in the Jinuo Ethnic Township of Jinuo Mountain, covering 12 villages. A total of 213 local residents were surveyed, including 126 men and 87 women. Thirteen traditional Jinuo healers were selected as key informants through purposive sampling. In addition, semi-structured interviews and group discussions were conducted with 200 additional informants from the Jinuo community. Finally, the collected ethnobotanical data were analyzed using relative frequency of citation (RFC). A total of 226 medicinal plant species were recorded in the study area, belonging to 197 genera and 90 families, with Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae as the dominant families. Herbaceous plants constituted the majority of medicinal species. Thirteen plant parts were used for medicinal preparation, among which roots were the most frequently used, followed by whole plants. The results showed that these medicinal plants were used to treat 94 human diseases, with the primary preparation methods being decoction for oral administration and fresh application by pounding. To assess the relative importance of medicinal plants locally, RFC values were calculated for each species. Among them, Plantago asiatica (0.87), Stephania epigaea (0.86), Tacca chantrieri (0.85), Gynostemma pentaphyllum (0.85), and Phyllanthus urinaria (0.84) showed relatively high RFC values. In addition, the survey recorded 40 common medicinal and edible plants in the local community. This study shows that the Jinuo people possess rich medicinal plant resources, which play an important role in treating common ailments and maintaining daily health. However, the aging of knowledge holders, the decline in the number of traditional Jinuo healers, insufficient transmission to younger generations, and increasing human disturbances are leading to the continuous loss of medicinal plant resources and associated traditional knowledge. Therefore, it is urgent to strengthen the conservation of medicinal plant resources, as well as the documentation and transmission of traditional knowledge systems, in order to promote the sustainable use of Jinuo traditional medicine and provide references for the protection of ethnomedicine and the development of biological resources.