UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Diversity and ethnobotany of local bananas among the indigenous Baduy community, Indonesia

Identification

Public canonical key

radar:r-7bb83cdb664c8a863a4bef1be1c85897

Authors

Nani Maryani · Novi Ramadani Pratiwi · Fajarudin Ahmad · Odien Rosidin · Dwi Ratnasari

Reported year

2026

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-14T02:41:40.780986+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-14T02:41:40.780986+00:00

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Institutions reported by the source

Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University · National Research and Innovation Agency · Organisasi Riset Hayati dan Lingkungan

Reported affiliation countries

ID

Documentary abstract — original language

Abstract. Maryani N, Pratiwi NR, Ahmad F, Rosidin O, Ratnasari D. 2026. Diversity and ethnobotany of local bananas among the indigenous Baduy community, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 9 (2): y090205. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjethnobiol/y090205. Indigenous communities play a significant role in biodiversity conservation. The Baduy, among the most isolated in Indonesia, reside in a region central to banana production. However, local banana varieties in the Baduy areas have not been documented. This research investigates the diversity and ethnobotanical uses of bananas among the Baduy community in Banten province, Indonesia. The study covered 10 villages in the Baduy area, where banana identification and genome composition were based on morphological characteristics, and ploidy was determined by flow cytometry. Ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 informants recognized within the community for their knowledge of local banana varieties, their uses, and cultural significance. A total of 26 banana accessions were identified, including 17 cultivated varieties and nine wild banana accessions. Three wild banana species, Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa salaccensis were identified, with M. acuminata exhibiting abundant diversity. This included five accessions of M. acuminata: two M. acuminata var. cerifera, two M. acuminata var. bantamensis, and M. acuminata var. zebrina. Furthermore, the Baduy people utilize banana plants for culinary, medicinal, and ritual purposes. While cultivated bananas are used as food, wild bananas were mainly used for ritual purposes, particularly their leaves. These wild bananas were carefully preserved and cultivated throughout the Baduy area for their cultural and traditional significance, a practice that, to our knowledge, has never been observed elsewhere in Indonesia. Thus, the Baduy region may potentially serve as an effective in situ conservation site for wild bananas globally. Ethno-linguistic analysis specifically on “kole”, wild bananas belonging to M. acuminata, indicates that the community utilizes a two-part vernacular naming pattern, characterized by a 'head + modifier' noun-phrase structure, to systematically organize and transmit banana nomenclature across generations. This study provides insight into the Baduy conservation practises related to banana diversity and their cultural resilience.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

https://openalex.org/W7224767812

DOI

10.13057/asianjethnobiol/y090205

Documentary context

Documentary family

article

Source-reported types

article

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1

• Document · https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjethnobiol/y090205

Documentary status

Relevance pending

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