MEDICINAL AND OTHER USEFUL PLANTS OF THE LUNDAYEH COMMUNITY OF SIPITANG, SABAH, MALAYSIA.
by JULIUS KULIP, GEORGE MAJAWAT (1) AND JOHNLEE KULIK (2)
ABSTRACT
We report the diversity of plants used as medicinal and other useful plants by Lundayeh community in Sipitang district. Lundayeh plants documented in this study are distributed among 39 families, 49 genera and 135 species. Included are 89 medicinals (inclusive 32 specimens yet to be identified), 30 food plants, and 5 species for the other uses. About 58% are trees, 34% are herbs and 8% are lianas and palms. Leaves and roots are the most frequently utilized plant part in medicinal plant treatmenr. Most are prepared as decoctions and administered orally. 95% of the plants are native and 5% are domesticated. Lundayeh culture is changing rapidly most villages except in Kampung Mendulong, Solob, Long Mio and Long Pa Sia as a result of contact with modern facilities. Those four villages are still depend very much on jungle produce for food, medicine, building materials and materials for handicrafts.
INTRODUCTION
The study of medicinal and other useful plantsd of indigenous rural community is timely and this is no exception for the Lundayeh community in Sipitang. Indigenous and rural communities possess the substantial majority of agricultural and medical biodiversity that continues to exist in situ. Indigenous people have nurtured and/or developed much of the material within their traditional lands and waters.
More than 60% of the world’s people and 80% in developing countries (Raven 1992, 1993) depend directly on plants for their medicines. In the United States, one-fourth of all prescriptions dispendsed containing active ingredients extracted from plants and medicinal plants are now considered within the global biodiversity strategy (Raven 1992).
(1) SANDAKAN Herbarium, (2) District Forest Office,
Forestry Research Centre Sabah, P.O. Box 37, 89857 SIPITANG,
P.O. Box 1407, 90715 SANDAKAN, Sabah, Malaysia.