Ethnobotanical study on Daksina constituent plants on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Sutraningsih NKA, Sukenti K, Sukiman, Aryanti E. 2019. Ethnobotanical study on Daksina constituent plants on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 2: 78-83. Lombok Island is located between Bali and Sumbawa Island in Lesser Sunda, Indonesia. About 80% of the population is inhabited by the original tribe called Sasak. Another tribe with a close cultural relationship is Bali, whose various Hinduism traditional rituals still exist, both religious and ancestral beliefs. In carrying out a traditional ritual, the Balinese required several means to support the ceremony, one of which is Daksina. Daksina is a kind of offerings in Hindu ceremonies composed of various plants. This research aims to explore the ethnobotanical aspects of plants that comprise Daksina. The study was conducted in several Balinese-Hindu villages in 5 regions in Lombok Island, i.e., Mataram City, West Lombok Regency, North Lombok Regency, Central Lombok Regency, and East Lombok Regency. Field data collection was done through participatory observation, interviews, and documentation. Informants were selected based on purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods. Reported Use (RU) and Index of Cultural Significance (ICS) were calculated to obtain the cultural importance value of the species. The result records that 46 plant species of 27 families are utilized to compose Daksina used in 13 traditional ceremonial rituals in Balinese-Hindu communities on Lombok Island. In general, traditional rituals have some valuable ethnobotanical aspects that should be revealed to preserve natural and cultural resources and support ecotourism.