Ethnobotanical study of the use of natural dye plant species in the southern forest-savanna transition zone of Ghana

Abstract

Ethnobotanical studies were carried out in the United Nations University People’s Land-Use and Environmental Change (UNU/PLEC) demonstration sites of Gyamfiase-Adenya, Sekesua-Osonson and Amanase-Whanabenya with detailed floral inventory undertaken in the Gyamfiase-Adenya demonstration site. Ethnobotanical knowledge gathered from focus group discussions indicated that a number of plant species were used traditionally as food colours and dyes for clothing. These included Alchornea cordifolia, Carica papaya, Citrus sinensis, Combretum mucronatum, Lecaniodiscus cupanioides, Mangifera indica, Lonchocarpus cyanescense and Morinda lucida. The use of these species for food colouring was widespread among females than among males. Food colouring was also found to be a common household practice although it was not commercialised. Floral inventory in the Gyamfiase-Adenya site indicated that Albizia zygia, Bombax buonopozense, Ceiba pentandra, Cola gigantea, Morinda lucida, Rauvolfia vomitoria and Terminalia ivorensis are left as standard trees in-situ on farms in traditional agro-forestry. Out of seven species screened initially as sources of materials for food colouring and dyes for clothing, Morinda lucida and Combretum mucronatum were predominant in the area. Whilst Combretum mucronatum was readily available in the fallows, Morinda lucida was found in each of the different land-use types (farms with annual crops, fallows and tree crop farms). Local communities with the support of district assemblies should be encouraged to maintain and pursue other effective and sustainable methods in the harvesting of these plants.