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A floristic survey, through field observation and semi-structured interviews with villagers, was carried
out on plant resource of the villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah. A total of 106 species of plants were
grown in holdings of the villagers. These plants were used as ornamental, food, medicine, utensil and
handicraft. Fourteen species of plants had multi-uses. Thirteen species of plants were sold to
supplement income. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) were grown mainly for
income. Annual income generated from these two crops was estimated to be Malaysian Ringgit
829678.08 for the whole village.
INTRODUCTION
Burkill (1935) was one of the earliest to provide a country’s population. Most Malays still live in villages,
comprehensive account on plant resource utilization in known locally as kampungs, in sub-urban and rural
Malaysia. Similar but slightly more detailed account was areas.
provided by Dunn (1975). Later studies focused more on The objective of the study is to identify and categorize
plant resource utilization by the indigenous people. These species of plants that are grown in holdings of villagers of
include studies by Chin (1985) and Ong (1991). Plant Kampung Parit Tok Ngah, Malaysia. Categorization of
resource of the Malays is generally well-known because these plants facilitates future comparison and valuation of
of their early encounter with ethnobotanists and travelers. plant resource in Malaysia.
These information are, however, still insufficient to
identify any trend in plant resource utilization among the
various ethnic groups in Malaysia. Among the few recent MATERIALS AND METHODS
studies that examined or discussed plant resource in
This study was carried out in a sub-urban village locally known as
Malay holdings were by Rostam et al. (2006) and Milow Kampong Parit Tok Ngah which is located in the district of Ulu
et al. (2010). The former describe the impact of Kerian in the state of Perak (Figure 1). Kampung Parit Tok Ngah
urbanization on the choice of plants grown on house occupies an area of 218.9 hectares. The village has 132 houses
compounds in several Malay villages in the state of and a population of 618 which is made up of ethnic Malays. The
Selangor. The latter described diversity of plants grown village is subdivided into three Islamic administrative zones with
or tended in home gardens of several ethnic groups, each zone comprising of 44 houses. This study was carried out on
one of the zones. The midpoint of the zone where this study was
including the Malays, in the state of Pahang. The present carried out was 5°04.917’ N, 100°26.980’ E and about 29 m above
report is based on a study carried on a Malay village in sea level. The soil of the study site is dark grey according to
the north-western part of Peninsular Malaysia. In Munsell soil colour charts, with an average pH of 6.15. Visits were
Malaysia, all Malays are Muslims and together with the carried out on 32 households to record and identify species of
indigenous people, they constitute more than half of the plants that were grown in home gardens and to conduct semi-
structured interviews on one of the member of each household.
This was to gather information on local uses and estimate the
market price of each plant. Each household live in a house and
owns or tends a land on which the house is located but big enough
*Corresponding author. E-mail: pozimilow@um.edu.my Tel: 603 to grow plants mainly for home use and an adjacent plot of land to
79676777. Fax: 603 79674178. grow oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Milow et al. 2607
Figure 1. Map of Peninsular Malaysia showing the location of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.
The land which is owned or tended by a household, in this study, is Market values of the crops are estimated by multiplying average
termed holding. Market price of each species of plants was verified household income from the two crops with the number of
through survey of the plants sold at nearby towns and roadside households in the village.
stalls.
Total annual income generated by the villagers of Kampung Parit
Tok Ngah from the selling of oil palm fruits are estimated by
RESULTS
multiplication of the following: (1) average weight of each fruit
bunches; (2) average fruit bunches per household; (3) the number
of households; (4) the number of harvest per year; (5) average A total of 105 species of plants are encountered at
price of fruit bunch per kilogram. Kampung Parit Tok Ngah were identified (Table 1).
2608 Sci. Res. Essays
Table 1. List of species of plants found and used by villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.
Home garden
3. Allamanda cathartica L. Bunga loceng Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
Allium tuberosum Cooking ingredient
4. Kucai Food Leaves Not traded
Rottler ex Sprengel
15. Averrhoa bilimbi L. Belimbing buluh Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
16. Averrhoa carambola L. Belimbing besi Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
Table 1. Contd
Home garden
20. Caladium bicolor Vent. Keladi merah Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
Home garden
21. Cananga odorata L. Kenanga Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
22. Capsicum frutescens L. Cabai melaka Food Fruits Cooking ingredient 6.00/kg
Home garden
25. Celosia argentea L. Balung ayam Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscape
Table 1. Contd
36. Cucumis melo L. Tembikai susu Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
37. Cucumis sativus L. Timun Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
43. Donax canniformis Medicinal Stems High fever treatment Not traded
Bemban
(Forst. f) Schum Handicraft Stems Basket Not traded
Home garden
49. Euphorbia trigona Haw. Kaktus segi tiga Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscape
Table 1. Contd
Home garden
52. Helianthus annuus L. Bunga matahari Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
Home garden
55. Impatiens balsamina L. Kembung Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
Ipomoea Salad
56. Kangkung Food Leaves, stems Not traded
aquatica Forsskal
Home garden
57. Ipomoea tricolor Cav. Seri pagi Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
Home garden
58. Ixora chinensis Lamk. Pecah periuk Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
Home garden
62. Lantana camara L. Bunga tahi ayam Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
67. Mangifera indica L. Mangga Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
Table 1. Contd
70. Manilkara zapota L. Ciku Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
Home garden
71. Mentha arvensis L. Pudina Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
Indigestion, bladder
74. Morinda citrifolia L. Mengkudu Medicinal Leaves ailment, skin itchiness Not traded
treatment
75. Muntingia calabura L. Ceri Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
Cooked 1.12/ kg
81. Oryza sativa L. Padi Food Grains
unprocessed grain
85. Phoenix dactylifera L. Kurma Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
87. Piper betle L. Sireh Medicinal Leaves Treatment for headache Not traded
88. Piper nigrum L. Lada hitam Food Fruits Cooking ingredient Not traded
Milow et al. 2613
Table 1. Contd
90. Psidium guajava L. Jambu batu Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
Psophocarpus Salad
91. Kacang kelisa Food Fruits Not traded
tetragonolobus (L.) DC.
101. Theobroma cacao L. Koko Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
Vanilla planifolia Jacks. Home garden
102. Anggerik Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
ex Andrews landscape
104. Vitis vinifera L. Anggur Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
Villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah use these plants for species in Table 1 is regularly or sporadically sold by the
ornamental, food, medicinal and utensils. Several species villagers for income. The table also includes the unit price
has diverse uses. 12% of the total number of plant of the plants. Only two species of plants, E. guineensis
2614 Sci. Res. Essays
Table 2. Number of holdings with each species of plants grown at Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.
1. Annona muricata L.
2. Celosia argentea L.
3. Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth.
4. Cucumis sativus L.
5. Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw
6. Ficus deltoidea Jack
7. Garcinia mangostana L.
2
8. Impatiens balsamina L
9. Mikania micrantha Kunth ex H.B.K
10. Piper betle L.
11. Sauropus albicans (L.) Merr.
12. Senna alata L.
13. Theobroma cacao L.
14. Zingiber officinale Roscoe
Total number of species = 14
Table 2. Contd.
1. Allamanda cathartica L.
2. Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg
3. Ipomoea tricolor Cav.
4
4. Psidium guajava L.
5. Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews
Total number of species = 5
1. Averrhoa carambola L.
2. Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.&Panzer) Swingle
3. Euphorbia trigona Haw.
8
4. Manilkara zapota L.
5. Oenanthe javanica (Blume) DC.
6. Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.
Total number of species = 6
1. Averrhoa bilimbi L.
2. Citrus hystrix DC 10
3. Eugenia aquea Burm. f.
2616 Sci. Res. Essays
Table 2. Contd
1. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. 11
Total number of species = 1
1. Nephelium lappaceum L.
13
2. Syzygium malaccense (L.)
Total number of species = 2
1. Carica papaya L.
14
2. Manihot esculenta Crantz.
Total number of species = 2
1. Mangifera indica L. 16
Total number of species = 1
1. Capsicum frutescens L. 18
Total number of species = 1
1. Curcuma longa L. 21
2. Cymbopogon citratus (D.C.) Stapf
Total number of species = 2
1. Cocos nucifera L. 25
Total number of species = 1
1. Musa sp. 29
Total number of species = 1
Jacq. and O. sativa L. , were grown by the villagers holding. Only E. guineensis Jacq. and O. sativa L. are
mainly for income. found in all the village holdings. These two crops are the
main source of income for the villagers and assistance to
grow them is provided by the government. Estimated total
DISCUSSION annual income from the two crops is Malaysian Ringgit
829678.08 for the whole village (Table 3). Other plants in
Table 2 shows that most of the plant species that were Table 2 are believed to be grown at leisure or their
recorded during this study were found only at a certain growth does not need intense care. According to the
Milow et al. 2617
Table 3. Estimated income of villagers in Kampung Parit Tok Ngah from the selling of oil palm fruits
and rice.
Handicraft Utensil
1
1 1
Medicinal
Ornamental 3 9 Food
16 51
24
Figure 2. Number of species for each category of plants that are planted in Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.
villagers, surplus from home use of these plants are sold mainly in the form of benefit derived from other
for income. However, other trends in Table 2 need further environmental services provided by the plants (Primack,
study. 2008). Aesthetic and ethical values are more subjective
Most species of plants that are utilized by villagers in and inclusive of appreciation for and right to existence.
Kampung Parit Tok Ngah have specific use. Fourteen Villagers of Kampong Parit Tok Ngah were aware of
species or about thirteen percent of the total number of direct economic value of their plant resource as all the
utilized plant species in Kampung Parit Tok Ngah were respondents could describe the uses and roles of each of
multi-purpose. Most of the plant species utilized by the plants that they grow. Perception of other values
villagers at Kampung Parit Tok Ngah were used for food. could not be inferred from this study.
Only one species of plants were used for handicraft, Several conclusions are drawn from this study. Firstly,
whereas the number of plant species for making utensil villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah emphasize income-
was only two. These are summarized in Figure 2. generating crops to grow in their holdings; secondly, most
Plant resource has direct economic value, indirect of the species of plants were grown for specific purpose
economic value, aesthetic value and ethical value. Direct of which food plants dominated in term of number of
economic value is derived from the food, construction, species; thirdly, on the other hand, since direct economic
materials, medicinal plants and other goods harvested value of plants can be derived from crop yield, market
from natural areas, as well as from recreational facilities price, plant and uses, different study techniques need to
and other services (Martin, 1995). An indirect value is be devised to elicit other values of plant resource upheld
2618 Sci. Res. Essays
by the villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah. Chin SC (1985). Agriculture and Resource Utilization in a Lowland
Rainforest Kenyah Community. Sarawak Museum J., 35(4): 1-11.
Dunn FL (1975). Rainforest Collectors and Traders A Study of
Resource Utilization in Modern and Ancient Malaya. MBRAS M, p .5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Martin GJ (1995). Ethnobotany: A methods manual. Chapman and Hall.
London, Weinheim, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne, Madras.
Milow P, Ramli MR, Ong HC (2010) Preliminary Survey on Plants in
We are grateful to the University of Malaya for supporting
Home Gardens in Pahang, Malaysia. J Biodiversity, 1 (1): 19-25.
this study through its research grant RG044/09SUS. Ong HC (1991). A Survey of Temuan Home Gardens. Malaysian J. Sci.,
13: 13-32.
Primack RB (2008) A Primer of Conservation Biology. Fourth edition.
REFERENCES Sinauer Associates Inc. pp. 43-70.
Rostam K, Ahmad R, Hussain MY (2006) Urbanization and the
Burkill IH (1935). A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay changing habitat: the case of Malay of housing compounds in
Peninsula. 1st Edition. Dept. of Agriculture. Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia. J. e-Bangi., 1(1): 1-14.