Distribution and Utilization pattern of wild and domesticated Musa spp. by Khamti tribe of Namsai district in Arunachal Pradesh, India

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Distribution and Utilization pattern of wild and domesticated Musa spp. by Khamti tribe of Namsai district in Arunachal Pradesh, India

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4835569/v1

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The study was done to document the distribution and utilization pattern of wild and domesticated Musa spp. by the Khamti tribe of Namsai district, Arunachal Pradesh. This study was conducted from January to June 2023 through a questionnaire survey and informal interviews with 55 respondents from the Khamti tribe. In this study, 10 Musa spp. were reported from the Namsai district. Of these 7 were wild Musa spp. namely M. balbisiana, M. flaviflora, M. itinerens, M. markkuana, M. siangensis, M. velutina and one unknown Musa spp. M1 and 3 cultivated Musa sp. Jahaji, chinikol, sabji-kol. Khampti tribe utilized Musa spp. in 8 use categories for their various socio-cultural purposes such as ceremonies and rituals (CNR), commercial uses (COM), construction (CON), edible (EDB), livestock feed (FED), traditional medicine (MED), packing (PAC) and others (OTH). The highest use percentage was found in the edible (EDB) and commercial (COM) use categories with 26% each, followed by ceremonies and rituals (15%), others (11%), etc. Among the plant parts, fruits and inflorescences had the highest utilization (21% each), followed by leaf and pseudo stem (16% each), etc. Among all Musa spp., M.balbisiana had the highest number of plant parts utilized i.e. 7 followed by M.itinerans.

Distribution

Utilization

Musa

Khamti

Namsai

Arunachal Pradesh

Banana plants belong to the genus Musa L. the monocot family Musacea in the order Zingiberales. There are two more genera Ensete Bruce ex Horan and Musella (Franch) in the family (Kress et al. 2001). There are 83 species of Musa distributed throughout the world and maximum diversity of species in tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia, southwest pacific and northern Australia (Liu et al. 2002; POWO, 2023; Kennedy 2009). Most of the species of Musa are concentrated and considered to be originated from Indo-Myanmar and south Asian regions including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam (Daniells et al. 2001; Joe and Sabu 2016; Hastuti H et al. 2019; Myers et al. 2000; Uma et al. 2005).

A total of 34 taxa of Musaceae were reported in India of which 30 taxa occurred in Northeastern states with 19 taxa endemic to the region, representing 81% of the total wild Musaceae diversity in India (Sabu et al. 2016). The majority of wild Musa in the Indian subcontinent are found in the North-eastern states, which represent the junction of the Indo-burma and eastern Himalayas (Deb CR et al. 2023). Besides wild species in natural habitats, many cultivated varieties of Musa spp. are found in the traditional home gardens in the region (Molina et al. 2002). Six new Musa spp. (M. argentii, M. arunachalensis, M. markkui, M. markuana, M. kamengnensis, M. puspanjalieae) were recorded from Arunachal Pradesh in the last six years (Dey et al. 2014; Gogoi& Borah, 2013; Gogoi& Borah, 2014; Gogoi & Hakkinen, 2013; Hareesh et al. 2017; Sreejith et al. 2013).

With the diverse distribution of Musa spp. in different parts of the world, the indigenous communities are dependent on Musa spp. for various socio-cultural, religious and economic purposes. In addition to wide use of banana fruit as a source of food, different parts of the banana plants are also used in numerous ways by different communities. The leaves of Musa spp. are used extensively for preparing weaving baskets, mats, table clothes, plates, and cups, food wrappers for both marketing and cooking and for covering food (Kamira et al. 2015). The fruit, leaves, peels, pseudo stem and roots of the Musa plant have different pharmacological effects (Palde et al. 2022). The male bud is cooked and consumed as a vegetable in Malaysia and India (Hassan, 2002). It is also used in several meals because of various health advantages (Palde et al. 2022). The sap liquid obtained from male buds of many Musa species are used as a remedy for stomach problems (Mustaffa and Sathiamoothy, 2002). Ripen fruits of M.cheesmani and M.itinerans is consumed to cure dysentery (Dutta et al. 2019). Many species of Musa are also extensively used for magico-religious practices viz., the use of M. balbisiana stem during preparation of the ceremonial altar in Tallenguie and Sarak puja by the Mising and Deori tribes of Assam, respectively (Pangging et al. 2019; Pangging et al. 2021).

Arunachal Pradesh located in the Northeastern region of India has large geographical area with varying range of agro-climatic conditions harboring rich floral and faunal diversity. The state also possesses high ethnic and cultural diversity. Khamti is a major tribal community inhabiting the Namsai district located in the eastern part of Arunachal. The Khamti like other tribal community are dependent on forest resources since time immemorial. The cultivation and utilization of Musa is an integral part of the traditional knowledge systems of Khamti tribe. Thus, the present study was carried out to document the distribution and utilization pattern of both wild and domesticated Musa spp. by the Khamti tribe in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Study area and community

The present study was conducted in Namsai district located in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh and its coordinates are 27⁰ 30’ to 27⁰ 55’ N latitude and 95⁰ 52’ to 96⁰ 20’ E longitude with average elevation of 156mMSL. The district is surrounded by Assam in the West and Southwest, Changlang district in the South and Southeast, and Lohit district in the East and North (Fig. 1). The geographical area is 1587 sq km (approx). Namsai has a warm and temperate climate. Heavy rainfall occurs during summer compared to winter. During summer the temperature rises to 35° C while in winter it falls to 10⁰ C. The average annual temperature is 22.8°C. Precipitation here averages 2728 mm. The vegetation of Namsai district is a tropical wet semi-evergreen forest found in the ecology of the Himalayan Mountains. (Hazarika et al. 2020).

The people of the district mainly depend on agriculture. The Tai-Khamti tribe belonging to the Tai ethnic group, are the major tribes inhabiting the Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh. However, some populations are also found in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh and Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, and Dhemaji districts of Assam. They are the followers of Theravada (Hinayana) Buddhism and have their own script locally known as ‘Lik Tai’ and they speak Khamti language. There is a prayer room in every house, and the family pray morning and evening while bringing offerings of food (khao tang som) and flowers (nam taw yongli). Tai-Khampti are built their house on raised floors with thatched roofs (Namsai District Administration 2024). It was observed that every household has land for homesteads, wet rice fields and dry land for cultivation during the survey. The Khamti tribe mostly practice rice cultivation while some also grow Musa spp., vegetables and cash crops. Other tribes namely Deories, Aiton, Khamyangs and Phake were also found inhibiting Namsai district.

Documentation of distribution and identification of Musa Species

The documentation on distribution of Musa spp. was conducted through an extensive field survey and the exact locations of occurrence of Musa spp. were recorded with the help of Global Positioning System (GPS). The identification of Musa spp. was done by consulting published literature and comparing the morpho-taxonomic characterization based on described in the “descriptors of banana” (IPGRI, INIBAP and CIRAD 1996), name and synonyms of banana were confirmed by consulting web resource, plants of the world online (POWO, 2023) and musalogue (Daniel et al. 2001).The leaves, inflorescences, fruits were collected for preparation of the herbarium following the standard methodology (Jain and Rao 1977). The distribution map of Musa spp. was prepared using QGIS 3.32 software. The distribution of wild species was obtained through informal interaction with the informants and by visiting the forests. These species were grouped into various categories such as abundant – the species that is available in abundance; rare – the species that are very uncommon, scare, infrequently encountered or could be an endemic species; random – individuals that are spaced at unpredictable distances from each other and cultivated – the species that is available and can be cultivated by humans to meet their needs (Dutta et al. 2019).

Utilization pattern

The utilization of both wild and cultivated Musa spp. was done with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire, informal interview and personal observation as per methodology (Jain and Mudgal 1999). In this present study, 55 informants were selected through random sampling from selected villages of the Namsai district namely, Namsai, Lathao, Manfaiseng, Mengkeng, Chongkham, Kherem, Nampong, Enten, Manna, Ningloo, Mumong, etc. The informants were broadly grouped as village heads (GB), monks, farmers, local healers, etc. from different age groups and gender. Prior informed consent (PIC) was also obtained before commencing the interview. The information obtained included the inventory of local name of the Musa spp., synonym and meaning if any, local knowledge, and knowledge about bananas. The uses of plant parts of banana were categorized into rhizome, sucker, seed, sap, leaf, pseudo stem, inflorescence, and fruit. Also, the uses of bananas were grouped into nine use categories such as ceremonies and ritual (CNR- ceremony and traditional needs), commercial (COM- Musa parts and products sold in markets), construction (CON- used in roofing), edible (EDB- consumed by the locals, traditional cuisine etc.), feed (FED- livestock feeds), medicine (MED- traditional medicines), nutrient resource management (NRM- traditional nutrient management), packing (PAC- packing, wrapping, binding, etc.), and others (OTH-domestic uses, ornamental, miscellaneous uses, etc.).

Distribution of Musa spp. in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh

The distribution of Musa spp. was done by taking GPS points with the help of Garmin GPS device by visiting the forest areas and roadways throughout the district as much as possible. A total of seven wild Musa spp. namely M. balbisiana, M. itinerans, M. velutina, M. markkuana, M. flaviflora, M. siangensis and one unidentified spp. named Musa M1, and three domesticated cultivars Jahaji, Sabji-kol and Chini-champa were recorded from different parts of Namsai district, Arunachal Pradesh. The distributions of seven wild Musa spp. in Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh are shown in Fig. 2. The location (latitude and longitude coordinates) of different wild Musa spp. was recorded with the help of Garmin GPS device which is noted in table 2 and the point distribution (with reference to the location) of wild Musa spp. distributed in Namsai district is plotted in the distribution map (Fig 3). The map was created using QGIS 3.32 software in OSM standard map. Among the wild species, M. velutina and M. itinerans were found to be the most abundant wild species. While M. balbisiana, M. flaviflora and Musa M1 (unknown sp.) were found randomly distributed in the district. M. siangensis and M. markkuana were the least distributed with few locations recorded from the study area with f 5-10 individuals/bananas per clump. The domesticated Musa spp. was found mainly in the home gardens and agricultural fields of the tribal community.

Indigenous knowledge on utilization of Musa spp. by the Khamti tribe.

The Khamti tribe utilized both wild and domesticated Musa spp. under 8 broad utilization categories such as ceremonies and rituals (CNR), commercial (COM), construction (CON), edible (EDB), feed (FED), medicine (MED), packaging/wrapping purpose (PAC) and other purposes (OTH). The indigenous knowledge system related to utilization of Musa spp. by Khamti tribe has been passed down from the older generation to the current generation since time immemorial (informant). The utilization pattern of seven Musa spp. and three cultivars are given in table 1. The various utilization of Musa spp. by Khamti tribe is shown in fig 5.

A comparative analysis among different Musa spp. use categories (Fig. 4) showed that M. balbisiana was dominant in terms of highest use categories with 7 use categories followed by M. itinerans (6 use categories), Musa sp. (Jahaji) (5 use categories), etc. However, Musa M1 and M. siangensis had no record of use among the Khamti tribe. The highest use from M. balbisiana parts was seen in medicinal purposes followed by ceremonies and rituals. While M. itinerens had the highest uses in ceremonies and rituals.

Among all Musa spp., M. balbisiana had the highest number of plant parts utilized i.e. 7, followed by M. itinerans and Jahaji i.e. 4 each (Fig. 6). In M. balbisiana, the highest number of usages of plant parts was found in leaf with 9 usages, followed by pseudo stem (6 usages), fruit, inflorescence, peel and seed (Fig. 6). Dutta et al., (2019) reported usages of Musa spp. by five different tribes of Arunachal Pradesh where M. Cheesmani was found with maximum uses followed by M. itinerens and M. acuminata etc. in Siang and Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh.

The highest used percentage was found in the Ceremonies and Rituals (23%), followed by edible (19%), commercial use categories (18%), other (14%), etc. The least use was found in construction (2%) as shown in Fig. 7. However, Dutta et al., (2019) recorded the highest uses in food consumption (42%), followed by fodder (23%), other (15%), etc. in Siang and Subansiri regions of Arunachal Pradesh.

Among all plant parts, fruits and inflorescences were utilized maximum (21% each), followed by leaf and pseudo stem (16% each), peel (6%), etc. The least use (5% each) was recorded for the whole plant, sap, seed and sucker (Fig. 8). Dutta et al., (2019) reported the highest usage of fruits as food and fodder (35%) followed by leaves (24%), inflorescence (22%) and pseudo-stems (19%) in Siang and Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh.

A total of seven wild Musa spp. namely M. balbisiana, M. itinerans, M. velutina, M. markkuana, M. flaviflora, M. siangensis and one unidentified spp. named Musa M1, and three domesticated cultivars Jahaji, Sabji-kol and Chini-champa were recorded from different parts of Namsai district, Arunachal Pradesh. One unidentified species needs taxonomic characterization and description which may be a new species. M. balbisiana was found in abundance in the district which has been reported to occur in all states in Northeastern India particularly in Assam (Subbaraya, 2006). Most of the species were recorded from roadside, near agricultural fields and nearby forests. Some of the species such as the unknown Musa M1 and M. siangensis were under tremendous stress due to expansion of roads, agriculture fields and deforestation activities. Moreover, M. siangensis was recorded from East Siang district located near agriculture lands and human settlements which restricted its distribution and rare occurrence making it an endangered species (Taid et al., 2024). This suggests that urgent need for state level conservation strategy is required to conserve these species from extinction.

The highest use of Musa species was observed in Ceremonies and rituals. Rituals such as Khnpasa-mau where the bride is allowed to pass between two Musa sucker tied with rope after marriage while entering the groom house is an important ritual of the Khamti tribe. Likewise, the use of Musa species in Antrekang – ritual performed for positive spirit in a house after death of a household member, Hapsomna – a ritual done for good fortune during rice harvest, Maikho-sumphai – a ritual where the khamti tribe pray to God for warm and sunny weather by burning woods after chill winter, Nunsietapong – a conical structure resembling a temple (Kong-mu) where banana pseudo stem is used to construct it and fruits of Musa species are also offered in various ceremonies and festivals in Khamti tradition. These practices show that the Khamti tribe has preserved their traditional ways of celebrating ceremonies, functions and rituals, which are also an important part of their life. Authors such as Laishram & Thokchom 2019, Kumar et al., 2023 and Devi et al., 2024 also reported the use of Musa spp. in different ceremonies and rituals.

Traditional dishes such as Pikoi-sen, Pikoi-moh, Pikoi-tam, Pikoi-tangnam and Paa-som are an important traditional dish prepared from Musa species by the tribe. Jumari (2000) reported the use of some varieties of Musa spp. were cooked in various dishes. Paa-som which is prepared by using Pseudo stem of M. itinerens added with fermented fish is an important dish which is compulsory on several occasions such as marriage, naming of newborn baby, housewarming etc. M. balbisiana leaves also play an important role in making local pitha (Tongtep), which is prepared during festivals. Musa inflorescences are not only consumed but also sold in local markets. Padam (2014) reported that banana inflorescence is consumed as vegetables. The inflorescences of wild Musa species such as M. balbisiana, M. flaviflora, M. itinerens, M. markkuana and M. velutina were consumed as vegetables and sold in local markets for 20–50 rupees. The price ranges according to the size of the inflorescences.

Tribal people have used parts of the plant including banana traditionally as medicine to cure diverse health ailments (Dutta et al., 2019). Such traditional medicines from Musa species were also observed which is still practiced by the Khamti tribe. These includes, consuming crushed seeds of M. balbisiana after mixing with water cures piles and it acts as vitamins for infants. The sap of M. balbisiana is consumed to cure dysentery and stomach-ache. Similar study was conducted by Emery et al., (1997); Sampath et al., (2012) on the effects of Banana on curing stomach troubles and other stomach related ailments. De-worming and cough are cured if the burnt peel mixed with water of M. balbisiana is consumed. Decay pseudo stem of M. balbisiana mixed with garlic cures tooth pain. Elephant owner feeds their elephants with the pseudo stem of Musa species to get energy during work. Recently, Mehra et al., 2014, Jyothirmayi & Rao 2015, Yuhlung & Battacharyya 2016, Galini 2019, Ajijolakewu et al., 2021, Supiandi et al., 2023, Gaikwad et al., 2023 and Rahman et al., 2022 reported different traditional medicines utilized from different Musa spp.

Musa plants are also utilized in other purposes such as domestic purposes, packing, feed, manure and miscellaneous purposes. Musa leaves are used in various daily purposes such as plates in various ceremonies and festivals, steaming of fish, to store dry meat and fish, roof in forest camps, wrapping beetle leave for selling and to wrap vegetables for selling. It is also planted in areca nut plantation which serve as a nurse crop. The leaves and pseudo stem are also used as manures. The pseudo stems are used as fodder for pig. Similar reports were conducted by Aurore et al., (2009) that unpeeled green bananas are used as pig feed while Akinyele & Agbro (2007) reported the use of Musa waste as animal feed. The pseudo stem of Musa species is used in making Huttak-phai (traditional fire chulla) and local boat for rafting or crossing river. The leaves of M. balbisiana were used to write and practice Khamti scripts by monks. These practices and uses of Musa species in various purposes shows that Musa species has been an important part of human life since time immemorial. Further, scientific investigation may be done on the wild Musa species on the information acquired in this paper.

The present study recorded seven wild Musa spp. which are M. balbisiana, M. flaviflora, M. itinerens, M. markkuana, M. siangensis, M. velutina and one unknown Musa sp. (M1) from Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh. The diverse distribution of Musa species and occurrence of new species (M1) from the study shows that this area is suitable for Musa occurrence. Moreover, three domesticated Musa spp. (cultivars) namely Jahaji (Cavendish), Chini-champa and Sabji-kol were also found to be cultivated in home gardens and agricultural land by the Khamti tribe. Banana plants (Musa spp.) may be considered an important socio-cultural plant species, which are utilized under 8 broad use categories such as construction, commercial, edible, feed, medicine, etc. Among these use categories, edible and commercial use was dominant with 26% each and least in construction and medicine (4% each). M. balbisiana had the highest use categories which may be considered as an important species among all the wild species found in the region. Besides, the highest utilized plant parts were fruits and inflorescences (21%) each and the least utilization was recorded for whole plant (pseudo stem), sap and sucker. Musa spp. was also utilized for magico-religious purposes wherein many rituals and ceremonies such as Khnpasa-mau, Hap-somna, Maikho-sumphai, Antrekang and Paa-som. Various traditional dishes such as Pikoi-sen, Pikoi-moh, Pikoi-tam, Pikoi-tangnam and Paa-som were also prepared using different parts of Musa spp. The practice of traditional knowledge in rituals, ceremonies, functions and ethnic dishes shows that not only the Khamti tribe has preserved their culture and tradition but also preserved their traditional knowledge from their previous generation. This also proves that there may be further practices involving different species in preparing traditional medicine, magico-religious practices, ethnic dishes rather than Musa species which may be an important and beneficial resource for the outer world. Lastely, M. balbisiana has the highest use categories and the highest number of plant parts utilized among all the Musa spp. Hence, M. balbisiana may be considered as an important Musa spp. for the Khamti tribe.

Conflict of interest:

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Author Contribution

Walung Songthing: data curation; formal analysis; validation; writing- original draft; software; Dr. G. Pangging: conceptualization; supervision; visualization; methodology; writing-review and editing.

Acknowledgement

First, I (Walung Songthing) would like to gratefully acknowledge MHRD, Govt. of India for awarding National Tribal fellowship. I would like to thank all the respondents of the Khamti tribe for their cooperation and genuine responses. I also thank my supervisor Dr. G. Pangging for his guidance and my friends namely Chau P. Manlong, Chau M. Namchoom, Chau K. Manpoong, Chau N. Chaumoung, Limshung Jugli and Kimlu Tangha for their valuable time and help in completing my survey. Lastly, to the Department of Forestry, NERIST.

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Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India. https://namsai.nic.in/tai-khampti/#:~:text=The%20Tai%2DKhampti%20is%20one,remained%20unexplored%20in%20its%20totality.

Table 1. Utilization pattern of both wild and domesticated Musa spp. by the Khamti tribe of Namsai district (Fig. 3 &5).
Sl. No.	Name of species	Local name	Distribution (Wild/ Cultivated)	Parts used	Uses	Use category
1	Musa flaviflora N.W.Simmonds	Koi	Random (Wild)	Inflorescence	Consumed in cooked form.	EDB
					Sold in local markets.	COM
2	Musa itinerans Cheesman	Koi laii	Abundant (Wild)	Inflorescence	Consumed in cooked form. It is also used in the preparation of traditional dishes such as Pikoi-sen, Pikoi-moh, Pikoi-tam, and Pikoi-tangnam.	EDB
				Pseudo stem	Consumed in cooked form.
				Inflorescence	Inflorescences are sold in local markets.	COM
				Pseudo stem	Sold in local markets.
				Pseudo stem	It is used for preparing traditional dishes such as Paasom (fermented fish + pseudo stem). This dish is compulsory during various ceremonies, especially in marriage, newborn celebrations, etc.	CNR
					It is used during many rituals and ceremonies of Khamti tribe: (i) Khnpasa-mau – It is a ritual done after marriage; the bride is allowed to pass between two banana plants which are made as a gate to enter the groom’s house.
				Sucker	(ii) Maikho-sumphai/Khamphai– It is a ceremony where they pray to God for warm and sunny weather by burning woods after a chill winter in February. (iii) Hongkhonkhau/hap-somna (rice harvest) – It is a ritual done for a good harvest where 2 young plants are used. (iv) Antrekang– It is a ritual performed for the positive spirit of the house especially done after the death of a family member wherein 4 young saplings of Musa sp. are used.
				Leaf	The betel leaves are wrapped in banana leaves and sold in the market.	PAC
				Leaf	Used as a mat by local vegetable vendors	OTH
				Pseudo stem	4-5 pseudo stems tied together and usedas a boat to cross rivers or streams.
				Leaf	It is used as a roof for the construction of camps in the jungle.	CON
3	Musa velutinaH.Wendl. &Drude	Koi kaei	Abundant (Wild)	Inflorescence	It is consumed in cooked form.	EDB
					Sold in local markets.	COM
4	Musa M1 (Unknown)	Koi kea	Rare (Wild)	-	No use was reported.	-
5	Musa markkuana (M.Sabu, A.Joe& Sreejith) Hareesh, A.Joe&M.Sabu	Koi ka	Rare (Wild)	Inflorescence	Consumed in cooked form as vegetable.	EDB
					Sold in local markets.	COM
6	Musa siangensisTaid	Koi	Rare (Wild)	-	No use was reported.	-
7	Musa balbisianaColla	Athiya	Abundant (Wild)	Inflorescence	Consumed in cooked form.	EDB
				Fruit	Fruits are consumed after ripe.
				Inflorescence	Sold in local markets.	COM
				Fruit	Sold in local markets.
				Leaf	Leaves are used to store dry fish and meat for longer periods.	PAC
					Tongtep (local pitha) is made and wrapped in banana leaves as a substitute for Phrynium pubinerve leaf.
					The leaves are used to steam fish.
					It is used as anoffering plate during any rituals or ceremonies.	CNR
					The leaves are converted into conical shapes and used to offer flowers in temples during the Sangken festival.
					During Measles (aye puja), the leaf is used as an offering plate used during the ritual.
					The leaves are used for serving the Monk during any ceremony or festival.
				Pseudo stem	Nunsietapong - pseudo stems are used to build Kong-mu during the Sangken festival.
				Leaf	The leaves were used to write Khamti scripts for monks.	OTH
					Opium is consumed by mixing with leaves of M.balbisiana by aged people.
				Pseudo stem	The traditional fire chulla (Huttak-phai) is prepared with pseudo stem.
				Seed	The seeds are crushed and mixedin water to cure piles.	MED
					The seeds are crushed and mixedin waterand used as vitamins for children.
				Sap	The sap is consumed to cure dysentery and stomachache.
				Peel	The burnt peel is mixed with water and used to cure worms in children.
					The burnt peel is mixed with water and used to cure cough.
				Pseudo stem	Elephants are fed to get energy during work.
					Decay pseudo stem is mixed with garlic to cure tooth pain.
				Pseudo stem	Elephant feed – pseudo stem is given as food.	FED
					It is used as pig feed.
8	Musa sp. (Musaceae)	Jahaji	Cultivated	Fruit	Fruits are offered in temples during any ceremony.	CNR
					Self-consumption.	EDB
					Sold in markets and to traders.	COM
				Leaf	It is used as manure for associated species.	OTH
					Used as a mat to cut meats in functions.
				Whole plant	Serves as a nurse crop to areca nut.
				Pseudo stem	The pseudo stem is used as pig feed.	FED
9	Musa sp. (Musaceae)	Chinikol	Cultivated	Fruit	Dried and preserved for longer periods and consumed.	EDB
					Consumed in ripe form.
					Sold in local markets.	COM
					Fresh fruits are offered in temples during festivals and ceremonies.	CNR
10	Musa sp. (Musaceae)	Sabjikol	Cultivated	Fruit	Consumed in cooked form.	EDB
					Sold in markets.	COM

CNR-Ceremonies and rituals; COM-Commercial; CON-Construction; EDB-Edible; FED-Feed; MED-Medicine; OTH-Other; PAC-Packagin

*Table 2. Coordinates of wild Musa* spp. along with altitude.**
Sl. No.	Name of Musa species	Latitude	Longitude	Altitude (masl)
1.	M. balbisiana Colla	27⁰ 39’28.872”	95⁰ 52’34.608”	144
		27⁰ 48’59.364”	96⁰ 1’30.36”	155
		27⁰ 47’37.428”	96⁰ 7’6.924”	155
		27⁰ 46’40.224”	95⁰ 58’37.236”	154
		27⁰ 47’47.868”	95⁰ 59’41.224”	156
		27⁰ 48’28.872”	96⁰ 4’22.332”	160
		27⁰ 48’46.692”	96⁰ 6’26.856”	162
		27⁰ 48’50.544”	96⁰ 7’39.54”	162
		27⁰ 48’7.74”	96⁰ 7’31.008”	166
		27⁰ 48’59.4”	96⁰ 1’30.504”	174
		27⁰ 44’31.164”	95⁰ 55’38.712”	154
		27⁰ 44’24.936”	95⁰ 54’48.276”	157
		27⁰ 40’18.264”	95⁰ 53’30.264”	158
		27⁰ 39’52.992”	95⁰ 52’51.636”	164
		27⁰ 38’32.316”	95⁰ 51’31.392”	163
		27⁰ 38’8.196”	95⁰ 49’53.184”	166
2.	M. flaviflora N.W.Simmonds	27⁰ 44’56.436”	95⁰ 55’47.82”	174
		27⁰ 43’33.24”	95⁰ 57’5.724”	170
		27⁰ 44’25.188”	95⁰ 55’38.712”	188
		27⁰ 45’25.884”	95⁰ 56’31.092”	192
		27⁰ 46’22.404”	95⁰ 58’38.892”	180
		27⁰ 45’43.488”	95⁰ 56’57.588”	178
		27⁰ 43’44.148”	95⁰ 57’32.832”	182
3.	M. itinerens Cheesman	27⁰ 43’44.148”	95⁰ 57’32.832	154
		27⁰ 45’42.66”	95⁰ 56’57.12”	156
		27⁰ 46’40.224”	95⁰ 58’37.236”	152
		27⁰ 48’11.988”	96⁰ 0’14.94”	168
		27⁰ 48’37.44”	96⁰ 5’17.628”	166
		27⁰ 48’53.028”	96⁰ 6’57.456”	170
		27⁰ 48’0.18”	96⁰ 7’22.728”	165
		27⁰ 46’22.404”	95⁰ 58’38.892”	158
		27⁰ 43’33.672”	95⁰ 57’34.704”	156
4.	M. markkuana (M. Sabu, A. Joe & Sreejith) Hareesh, A. Joe & M. Sabu	27⁰ 45’25.884”	95⁰ 56’31.092	154
		27⁰ 48’11.52”	96⁰ 0’21.204”	153
5.	M. siangensis Taid, S.S.Singh et Gajurel	27⁰ 43’28.884”	95⁰ 56’54.384”	186
6.	M. velutina H.Wendl. & Drude	27⁰ 45’53.964”	95⁰ 57’44.46”	154
		27⁰ 46’48.792”	95⁰ 58’57.684”	165
		27⁰ 47’28.5”	95⁰ 59’24.18”	152
		27⁰ 46’57”	96⁰ 14’4.956”	172
		27⁰ 48’10.584”	96⁰ 1’3.072”	168
		27⁰ 48’56.34”	96⁰ 6’58.608”	169
		27⁰ 44’27.816”	95⁰ 54’57.564”	174
		27⁰ 47’10.536”	95⁰ 59’9.924”	170
		27⁰ 48’37.08”	96⁰ 3’41.58”	178
		27⁰ 47’33.756”	96⁰ 3’27.18”	177
		27⁰ 48’45”	96⁰ 7’45.84”	176
		27⁰ 47’36.168”	96⁰ 10’7.212”	172
		27⁰ 45’27.288”	95⁰ 56’23.82”	154
		27⁰ 40’20.064”	95⁰ 53’43.62”	156
		27⁰ 38’33.072”	95⁰ 55’27.552”	148
		27⁰ 47’56.112”	96⁰ 7’16.608”	150
		27⁰ 47’37.572”	96⁰ 7’6.888”	158
		27⁰ 48’16.992”	96⁰ 1’17.292”	160
		27⁰ 43’40.908”	95⁰ 56’43.296”	157
		27⁰ 46’15.672”	95⁰ 58’40.332”	160
7.	Unknown Musa M1	27⁰ 45’55.224”	95⁰ 58’15.78”	163
		27⁰ 43’36.984”	95⁰ 56’44.016”	158
		27⁰ 45’43.488”	95⁰ 56’57.588”	159
		27⁰ 45’55.116”	95⁰ 58’14.7”	162

No competing interests reported.

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Distribution and Utilization pattern of wild and domesticated Musa spp. by Khamti tribe of Namsai district in Arunachal Pradesh, India

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