Ritual plant diversity and traditional knowledge in the Aneuk Jamee Tribe, Aceh, Indonesia

Abstract. Saudah, Rubiah, Zumaidar, Fitriyana L. 2025. Ritual plant diversity and traditional knowledge in the Aneuk Jamee Tribe, Aceh, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 8: 347-366. Ritual plants are essential in maintaining biocultural identity among indigenous communities. However, traditional knowledge related to ritual plant use is under threat from modernization and remains poorly documented. This study aimed to systematically document the diversity of ritual plants, analyze their cultural significance, and assess their conservation relevance among the Aneuk Jamee Tribe in South Aceh, Indonesia. Ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 100 key informants selected via purposive snowball sampling. Use Value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), and Index of Cultural Significance (ICS) were calculated to quantify the importance of each species. A total of 78 plant taxa belonging to 42 families were identified, with Poaceae being the most represented family (10 taxa). Two additional names were recognized as synonyms and therefore not counted as separate taxa. Herbaceous plants dominated (43.2%), and most species (77.2%) were cultivated, mainly in home gardens. Oryza sativa var. glutinosa (UV=0.86; RFC=0.86; ICS=179.5), Piper betle (UV=1.47; RFC=0.51; ICS=179.5), and Cocos nucifera (UV=1.54; RFC=0.76; ICS=179.5) emerged as the top three species, functioning as cultural keystone plants. These plants are used in various rituals, including weddings, births, circumcisions, agricultural rites, and mystical ceremonies. Findings emphasize the deep cultural embeddedness of ritual plant use and the urgent need to safeguard this knowledge. Home gardens serve as reservoirs of culturally significant plants, and engaging younger generations is vital for transmission and conservation.