An Ethnobotanical Study on Capsicum Peppers in Maluku Province, Indonesia
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Trop. Agr. Develop. 65(1): 1 - 9,2021 An Ethnobotanical Study on Capsicum Peppers in Maluku Province, Indonesia Sota YAMAMOTO1, * and Wardis GIRSANG2 1 International Center for Island Studies, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan 2 Faculty of Agriculture, Pattimura University, Jl. Ir. M. Putuhena, Poka Campus, Ambon, Maluku 97233, Indonesia Abstract We conducted an ethnobotanical survey on Capsicum peppers on the islands in Maluku Province, Indonesia to investigate the local nomenclature for, and distribution and usage of, Capsicum peppers. Two species, C. annuum and C. frutescens, are distributed in Maluku Province. A general name for Capsicum peppers on Ambon Island is“ cili”, which is probably derived from“ chile” in Spanish. However, other general names, which have unknown origins, are used on the other islands. On Buru Island, the C. frutescens cultivar with small fruit that are green when immature (GR type) has a specific local name“ arbasina”. Furthermore, many people think that the GR type is native to their region. It is possible that the GR type was the first to be widely distributed across islands in the Pacific region. The GR type is commonly thought to be the spiciest and have a pleasing aroma. Fresh, dried, and salted fruit, as well as fruit soaked in palm vinegar or lime juice are widely used as spices and condiments. Fresh fruit are also added to palm wine or liquor to make it spicier and stronger-tasting. Few people use Capsicum leaves as a vegetable. In terms of medicinal usage, leaves are used to treat boils and swellings, and fruit are applied to wounds. These two remedies are commonly applied throughout Maluku Province. Regarding popular beliefs, fruit are used to stop rain events and for getting rid of snakes from houses or fields. Key words: Capsicum frutescens, Dispersal routes, Leaves as a vegetable, Local nomenclature, Medicinal use found that C. chinense is distributed widely in Indonesia Introduction with several morphologically different fruit types on Capsicum peppers are native to tropical and temper- Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi islands and it was likely ate regions of the Americas (Eshbaugh, 1993). Of the introduced before World War II. This species is an im- approximately 35 species currently recognized (Carrizo portant spice in South Sulawesi Province, as well as an García et al., 2016), five species are economically impor- ornamental plant throughout three islands. tant; C. annuum, C. frutescens, C. chinense, C. baccatum, Maluku Province is located in the eastern part of and C. pubescens. Capsicum peppers are thought to Indonesia, and Ambon Island is the center of the prov- have been introduced to Europe in 1493 by Columbus ince and where the capital city is located. Capsicum pep- (Boswell, 1949) and to Asia, via Africa and India, in the pers are very important economically in Indonesia, with late sixteenth century (Sturtevant, 1885; Kumazawa et 2,542,358 t of “chillies and peppers, green” produced in al., 1954; Andrews, 1995). However, the details of how 2018, making Indonesia the fourth largest producer of Capsicum peppers were introduced into Indonesia and Capsicum peppers in the world (FAO, 2018). However, dispersed remain unknown. very few studies have been conducted on the local no- In Southeast and East Asia, C. annuum and C. menclature for, and usage and distribution of, Capsicum frutescens are primarily used as food and medicine, and peppers in Maluku Province compared to other regions the distributions of other species were unknown until re- of Indonesia. This is partly because many islands are cently. Yamamoto et al. (2013) revealed that C. pubescens scattered widely throughout the province, and access was introduced to Indonesia before 1916, likely during to each island from Ambon Island is limited, costly, the Dutch Era, and that Bandung and the surrounding and time-consuming; thus, comprehensive surveys of highlands in West Java and the Dieng Plateau in Central Capsicum peppers as well as other crops are difficult Java are the center of the C. pubescens distribution on to conduct. Therefore, as a first step, we carried out Java Island. In addition, C. pubescens is cultivated in an ethnobotanical survey of Capsicum peppers in the some highland areas on Sumatra and Sulawesi islands major islands in Maluku Province to investigate the (Yamamoto et al., 2016). Yamamoto et al. (2014) also distribution of Capsicum peppers in this region and to compare the local nomenclature and usage with those in Communicated by K. Matsushima other areas in the Asia-Pacific region for understanding Received Mar. 23, 2020 the relationship between Maluku people and Capsicum Accepted Aug. 11, 2020 peppers. * Corresponding author [email protected] 2 Trop. Agr. Develop. 65(1)2021 Study Sites and Data Collection Results and Discussion Fieldwork was conducted between 2015 and 2019 Local nomenclature for Capsicum peppers and on Ambon Island, Seram Island, Buru Island, the Kei perceptions of pungent Capsicum peppers Islands, the Aru Islands, the Tanimbar Islands, and the According to the survey results, C. annuum and C. Leti Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia (Fig. 1). The frutescens are cultivated and used in Maluku Province work consisted of interviews and visual observations of but C. pubescens and C. chinense are not. A general name Capsicum peppers in local markets, home gardens, and for Capsicum peppers on Ambon Island is “cili” (Table fields. A total of 73 people (40 males and 33 females; 1). The local names for Capsicum peppers in Cebuano 13 on Ambon Island, 13 on Seram Island, 9 on Buru and Tagalog, two major languages in the Philippines, Island, 10 in the Kei Islands, 9 in the Aru Islands; 14 in are “sili” and “siling”, which were probably derived from the Tanimbar Islands, and 5 in the Leti Islands) were “chile” in Spanish (Santos, 1988). Similar names are also interviewed regarding the local nomenclature for, and used in nearby areas: “sili”, “karisi”, and “sini” in the use of, Capsicum peppers, in terms of perceptions of Batanes Islands, Philippines and in Taiwan (Yamamoto pungent Capsicum peppers; knowledge of weedy forms and Nawata, 2009b); and “sele” and “jeli” in Pohnpei of C. frutescens; bird behavior toward Capsicum fruit; State, the Federated States of Micronesia (Yamamoto, usage as a condiment, vegetable, and/or medicine; and 2011). It is likely that “cili”, the local name used on popular beliefs and rituals related to this genus. The Ambon Island, was also derived from “chile” in Spanish. interviewees ranged in age from 21 to 92 years, with a On the other islands in Maluku Province, other gen- median age of 53 years. eral names are used on each island in addition to “cili” Indonesia 0 1000km Seram Buru Island Island Ambon Island The Aru Islands The Kei Islands The Leti Islands Maluku Province The Tanimbar Islands 0 200 km Fig. 1. The study sites (●) in Maluku Province, Indonesia. Fig. 1. The study sites (●) in Maluku Province, Indonesia. Yamamoto and Girsang: Ethnobotanical study on Capsicum peppers in Maluku 3 Table 1. Local names for Capsicum peppers in Maluku Province, Indonesia. Mainly C. frutescens Area Mainly C. annuum Immature fruit color Green Greenish-yellow Ambon Island cili besar (=big) cili kecil (=small) cili bugis (=Bugis people) cili bunga (=flower) cili padi (=dry land rice) cili padi cili cengkeh (=clove) cili padi kecil cili padi besar cili keriting (=curly) cili putih (=white) cili lombok cili putih kecil cili panjang (=long) cili putih besar Seram Island araputa araputa cili garos (=bigger level) cili belimbing (=starfruit) cili padi cili putih cili kenop (=button) karatupa karatupa cili keriting katupa katupa putie (=white) cili sayur (=vegetable) maisa wata maisa kutile (=white) cili tomat (=tomato) nisa karatupa panjang karatupa une tain (=goat droppings) katupa hatute maisa ila Buru Island cili arbasina cili cili besar cili padi cili sedang (=medium level) cili panjang pasat kastena putih kastena besar pasat fuan emdoing tain pasat kastena panjang pasat fuan roin (=small fruit) pasat fuan hat (=big fruit) pasat pasat mdoing tain (=cockroach fece) pasat fuan roit pasat fuan rema (=long fruit) pasat roin pasat huan hat pasat fuan reman (=long fruit) pasat mentifu The Kei Islands cili bangkok (=Bangkok) baresan cotocot cili ambon (=Ambon) cili jambu (=fruits of Myrtaceae) baresan ketkut cili lombok cili kaki ayam (=chicken leg) cili padi cili kenop cili keriting cili nona (=Miss) cili thailand (=Thailand) The Aru Islands cili besar cili padi cili putih cili keriting maresan maresan cili panjang maresan bontombi (=small) maresan delai cili sayur maresan gegade (=small) cili thailand maresan italengai (=small) maresan bari (=big) maresan kokli maresan borin (=big) maresan kwauwa (=small) maresan debariye maresan sisiai (=small) maresan gambundi (=big) maresan ucul maresan gnginai (=big) maresan jinjinai (=big) maresan keriting The Tanimbar Islands cili besar cili padi cili ambon cili botol (=bottle) maresan cili manado (=Manado) cili bulat (=round) maresan anak (=child) cili padi sedang cili kaki ayam maresan fase cili putih cili keriting maresan gagangge (=fine) maresan lange (=big) cili sayur maresan kakange (=small) maresan wuan dawan cili tongka langit (=up to the sky) maresan mefanas (=spicy) maresin aruwalu lombok maresan wuan kou (=small fruit) maresin yabun maresan as utin (=dog penis) maresin maresan kabal (=big) maresin batyawik maresan silai maresin kayanik maresan tabadiri (=up to the sky) maresin batyarwal maresin wak The Leti Islands cili besar kaimulake prurute (=small) cili sedang cili keriting kamlaka ana (=small) kamlaka wawarsa (=white) cili panjang kamlaku luwu (=small) kaimulake laulaune (=big) cili sayur kamlaku propete (=small) kamlaka sapona (=big) kamlaku sine (=Chinese) kamlaku lavne (=big) kamlaku lawan (=big) 4 Trop. Agr. Develop. 65(1)2021 (Table 1): “araputa”, “karatupa”, “katupa”, or “maisa” than the GY type. Of the remaining respondents, one in- by the Wemale ethnic group and “nisa” by the Alune dicated that “cili thailand” (referring to Thailand; C.