Floristic Composition of Herbaceous Flowering Plant Species with Emphasis to Ethnobotanical Importance of Wild Grasses in Laelay and Tahtay Michew Districts, Central Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study was carried out in Laelay and Tahtay Maichew districts. Objectives of the study were
to: identify herbaceous flowering plant species found in the study area, to identify community
types of the vegetation of the study area, to document the ethnobotanical importance of wild
grasses and to sample wild grass hosts of stem borers that can be used as trap plants in the pushpull
pest management approach. Within 65 sample quadrats, different herbaceous species were
collected for taxonomic identification using preferential sampling method and coded for an
analysis from 1m x 1m sub-quadrats placed within 20m x 20m quadrat. For ethnobotanical
importance of wild grasses data was collected using semi-structured interview, guided field walk
and direct observation, preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, group discussion and informant
consensus. A total of 132 herbaceous flowering plant species of vascular plants belonging to 99
genera and 34 families were identified. With regards to species number, the most dominant plant
family is Poaceae (34 species), followed by Asteraceae (16 species), Fabaceae (14 species). Four
community types were also identified at 47.94% to 31.42% similarity levels. With regards to
ethnobotanical importance of wild grasses, preference ranking indicated that, the most preferred
grasses for animal feed are Cynodon dactylon followed by Cynodon aethiopicus, Snowdenia
polystathya, Pennisetum villosum and Pennisetum sphacelatum 1st, 2nd, 3rd,4thand 5th respectively.
Wild grass hosts of the stem borers was searched and among the large stemmed wild grasses
known from the study area larvae and pupae of Busseola fusca and Sesamia calamistis-stem
borers of maize and sorghum were found in Pennisetum purpureum.
Key Phrases: Laelay and Tahtay Maichew districts, floristic composition of herbaceous
flowering plant species, ethnobotanical importance of wild grasses, wild grass hosts of stem borers
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Keywords
Laelay and Tahtay Maichew districts, floristic composition of herbaceous flowering plant species, ethnobotanical importance of wild grasses, wild grass hosts of stem borers