Kajian Etnobotani pada Suku Karo di Desa Perteguhen Kecamatan Simpang Empat Kabupaten Karo Provinsi Sumatera Utara

Abstract

Ethnobotany is the use of plants by people from generation to generation and over a long period of time. Perteguhen Village is on a plateau so various types of plants can grow. The people who live in Perteguhen Village use the plants in their area for various purposes. It is not uncommon for the people of Perteguhen Village to cultivate several types of plants that are often used. The types of plants that are often cultivated by the people of Perteguhen Village are horticultural commodity plants. This use cannot be separated from habits that are closely related to the traditional practices of the Karo tribe. Most of the people in Perteguhen Village are Karo tribe. For generations, knowledge about the use of plants has been passed down from generation to generation by traditional leaders, healers and the community in Perteguhen Village. The community in Perteguhen Village, Simpang Empat District, Karo Regency still maintains or protects customs and traditions in the use of natural resources, especially medicinal plants. Even though modern culture has entered Perteguhen Village, in their daily lives the community still maintains all the traditions of their ancestors. The village community still uses the surrounding plants as traditional medicine, because apart from the plants being easy to obtain, the processing is also simpler. This research was carried out from June to July 2022. The materials used in this research were questionnaires, the tools used were cameras, stationery and laptops. The results of interviews conducted with 74 respondents revealed that there were 28 plant species used by the people of Perteguhen Village as raw materials for medicine, food, raw materials for equipment, and also for traditional/traditional ceremonies. The Perteguhen Village community uses 23 types of plants as raw materials for medicine, 14 types of food, 8 types of raw materials for equipment, and 6 types of materials for traditional/traditional ceremonies.