The Concept of Hierarchy in Ethnobiological Classification: On Kafficho Folk Botany of Enset ( Ensete ventricosum ) in Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Enset (Ensete ventricosum [Welw] Cheesman) is one of the known Ethiopian domesticates and is among the most important food security crops cultivated in the country. In Southwest Ethiopia, more notably, in Kaffa area the domestic enset coexists with its wild relatives. This study was thus conducted in Kaffa to assess the commonly applied folk wisdom of naming, identifying, and classifying ensets. The result showed that Kaffa botany of enset follows a pattern of hierarchy, beginning at the folk generic level and descending to the level of sub-variety. On the level of folk genus, farmers recognize two well-defined taxa of ensets: Uuxo (cultivated) and eppo (wild) ensets. The Eppo does not have a folk specific taxon, but Uuxo has this taxon, which is labeled as Epecho. Below the level of folk species, the Uuxo and Epecho groups divide into locally named varieties. The former has up to 92 varieties while the letter has only 3. Farmers identified 31 sub-varieties within the folk variety. Kaffa's botany of enset recognizes about 126 named, perhaps distinct units of ensets. Identification of taxa assigned to different groups is based on a wide range of folk descriptors. Among others, the Kaffa custom of naming and grouping ensets based on morphology, physiology, and utilization has definite biological and functional implications. This study has the potential to broaden our understanding of how native societies perceive, value, and maintain diversity and can also aid in the genetic and botanical study of crop plants elsewhere.