A Tale of Ethnic Minorities, Rhododendron, and Conservation in Yunnan Province, China

We investigated the uses of rhododendrons by eight ethnic groups from northwest Yunnan Province, China in order to determine the extent of sharing of ethnobotanical knowledge among these ethnic groups. Approximately 200 interviews were conducted with members of the Bai, Dulong, Han, Lisu, Naxi, Nu, Tibetan, and Yi ethnic groups. Using cluster analyses, comparisons were made of the interview responses to questions about rhododendron to discern the extent of sharing of ethnobotanical knowledge for each ethnic group. The Naxi, Tibetan, and Yi had separate ethnobotanical knowledge of rhododendron, while the Bai, Dulong, Han, Lisu, and Nu ethnic groups had variable and shared ethnobotanical knowledge of rhododendron. All of the eight ethnic groups knew uses for rhododendron, especially uses such as food and handicrafts.