Scientific Research and Essays Vol. 6(13), pp.

2606-2618, 4 July, 2011

Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/SRE
ISSN 1992-2248 ©2011 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Characterization of plant resource at Kampung Parit

Tok Ngah, Perak, Malaysia
Milow P.*, Ghazali N. H., Mohammad N. S. and Ong H. C.
Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Accepted 31 May 2011

A floristic survey, through field observation and semi-structured interviews with villagers, was carried
out on plant resource of the villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah. A total of 106 species of plants were
grown in holdings of the villagers. These plants were used as ornamental, food, medicine, utensil and
handicraft. Fourteen species of plants had multi-uses. Thirteen species of plants were sold to
supplement income. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) were grown mainly for
income. Annual income generated from these two crops was estimated to be Malaysian Ringgit
829678.08 for the whole village.

Key words: Malay, holding, plant utilization, valuation.

INTRODUCTION

Burkill (1935) was one of the earliest to provide a
comprehensive account on plant resource utilization in
Malaysia. Similar but slightly more detailed account was
provided by Dunn (1975). Later studies focused more on
plant resource utilization by the indigenous people. These
include studies by Chin (1985) and Ong (1991). Plant
resource of the Malays is generally well-known because
of their early encounter with ethnobotanists and travelers.
These information are, however, still insufficient to
identify any trend in plant resource utilization among the
various ethnic groups in Malaysia. Among the few recent
studies that examined or discussed plant resource in
Malay holdings were by Rostam et al. (2006) and Milow
et al. (2010). The former describe the impact of
urbanization on the choice of plants grown on house
compounds in several Malay villages in the state of
Selangor. The latter described diversity of plants grown
or tended in home gardens of several ethnic groups,
including the Malays, in the state of Pahang. The present
report is based on a study carried on a Malay village in
the north-western part of Peninsular Malaysia. In
Malaysia, all Malays are Muslims and together with the
indigenous people, they constitute more than half of the
*Corresponding author. E-mail: pozimilow@um.edu.my Tel: 603
79676777. Fax: 603 79674178.
country’s population. Most Malays still live in villages,
known locally as kampungs, in sub-urban and rural
areas.
The objective of the study is to identify and categorize
species of plants that are grown in holdings of villagers of
Kampung Parit Tok Ngah, Malaysia. Categorization of
these plants facilitates future comparison and valuation of
plant resource in Malaysia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was carried out in a sub-urban village locally known as
Kampong Parit Tok Ngah which is located in the district of Ulu
Kerian in the state of Perak (Figure 1). Kampung Parit Tok Ngah
occupies an area of 218.9 hectares. The village has 132 houses
and a population of 618 which is made up of ethnic Malays. The
village is subdivided into three Islamic administrative zones with
each zone comprising of 44 houses. This study was carried out on
one of the zones. The midpoint of the zone where this study was
carried out was 5°04.917’ N, 100°26.980’ E and about 29 m above
sea level. The soil of the study site is dark grey according to
Munsell soil colour charts, with an average pH of 6.15. Visits were
carried out on 32 households to record and identify species of
plants that were grown in home gardens and to conduct semi-
structured interviews on one of the member of each household.
This was to gather information on local uses and estimate the
market price of each plant. Each household live in a house and
owns or tends a land on which the house is located but big enough
to grow plants mainly for home use and an adjacent plot of land to
grow oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.).
 Milow et al. 2607

Figure 1. Map of Peninsular Malaysia showing the location of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.

The land which is owned or tended by a household, in this study, is Market values of the crops are estimated by multiplying average
termed holding. Market price of each species of plants was verified household income from the two crops with the number of
through survey of the plants sold at nearby towns and roadside households in the village.
stalls.
Total annual income generated by the villagers of Kampung Parit
Tok Ngah from the selling of oil palm fruits are estimated by
RESULTS
multiplication of the following: (1) average weight of each fruit
bunches; (2) average fruit bunches per household; (3) the number
of households; (4) the number of harvest per year; (5) average A total of 105 species of plants are encountered at
price of fruit bunch per kilogram. Kampung Parit Tok Ngah were identified (Table 1).
 2608 Sci. Res. Essays

Table 1. List of species of plants found and used by villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.

Category of Method of preparation Price in

No. Scientific name Local name Part(s) used
use(s) or specific use(s) Malaysian ringgit
Abelmoschus Cooked
1. Kacang bendi Food Fruits Not traded
esculentus (L.) Moench

Leaves, Skin disease and fever

2. Acorus calamus L. Jerangau Medicinal treatment Not traded
Rhizomes

Home garden
3. Allamanda cathartica L. Bunga loceng Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping
Allium tuberosum Cooking ingredient
4. Kucai Food Leaves Not traded
Rottler ex Sprengel

Alocasia macrorrhiza Home garden

5. Keladi gajah Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
(L.) Schott. landscaping

Medicine Leaves Skin care Not traded

6.
Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. Lidah buaya Home garden
Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

Medicinal Skin treatment

7. Alpinia galanga (L.) Rhizomes Not traded
Lengkuas
Willd
Food Rhizomes Cooking ingredient Not traded

Ananas comosus (L.) Eaten raw

8. Nenas Food Fruits Not traded
Merr.

Andrographis High blood pressure

9. paniculata (Bum. f) Hempedu bumi Medicinal Leaves and diabetes prevention Not traded
Wall. ex Nees

Roots, barks, Cure for diabetes

10. Medicinal Not traded
Annona muricata L. Durian belanda leaves
Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Skin care and aging

11. Areca catechu L. Pinang Medicinal Fruits Not traded
prevention

Artocarpus altilis Cooked

12. Sukun Food Fruits Not traded
(Parkinson) Fosberg

Artocarpus Eaten raw

13. Nangka Food Fruits Not traded
heterophyllus Lamk.

Artocarpus integer Eaten raw

14. Cempedak Food Fruits Not traded
(Thunb.) Merr.

15. Averrhoa bilimbi L. Belimbing buluh Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

16. Averrhoa carambola L. Belimbing besi Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Azadirachta indica A. Cure for fever

17. Mambu Medicinal Leaves Not traded
Juss
 Milow et al. 2609

Table 1. Contd

Bambusa pauciflora Fishing rod

18. Buluh padi Utensil Stems Not traded
Ridl.

Bougainvillea x Home garden

buttiana Holtt. & Pokok bunga landscaping
19. Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
Standl. var. 'Barbara kertas
Karst'

Home garden
20. Caladium bicolor Vent. Keladi merah Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

Home garden
21. Cananga odorata L. Kenanga Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

22. Capsicum frutescens L. Cabai melaka Food Fruits Cooking ingredient 6.00/kg

High blood pressure

23. Medicinal Flowers Not traded
Carica papaya L. Betik prevention
Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Roots, leaves Blood pressure control,

Medicinal diabetes, period pain Not traded
24. Catharanthus roseus
Kemunting cina
(L.) Don Home garden
Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscape

Home garden
25. Celosia argentea L. Balung ayam Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscape

Prevention of high blood

26. Centella asiatica (L.) Medicinal Leaves Not traded
Pegaga pressure and diabetes
Urb.
Food Leaves Salad Not traded

Chrysanthemum Home garden

27. Kekwa Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
morifolium L. landscape

Citrullus Eaten raw

28. lanatus(Thunberg) Tembikai Food Fruits Not traded
Matsum & Nakai

Citrus aurantifolia Eaten raw

29. (Christm.&Panzer) Limau nipis Food Fruits Not traded
Swingle

30. Medicinal Fruits Flatulence 3.00/kg

Citrus hystrix DC. Limau purut
Food Leaves Cooking ingredient Not traded

Eaten raw, beverage,

31. Food Fruits 0.60/fruit
Cocos nucifera L. Kelapa cooking ingredient
Utensil Leaves Brooms, wrapper Not traded

Codiaeum variegatum Home garden

32. Bunga puding Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
(L.) Bl. landscaping

Coleus scutellarioides Home garden

33. Ati-ati Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
(L.) Benth. landscaping
 2610 Sci. Res. Essays

Table 1. Contd

Colocasia esculenta Eaten raw

34. Keladi Food Rhizomes 1.00/plant
(L.) Schott

35. Cosmos caudatus Medicinal Leaves Blood cleansing

Ulam raja Not traded
Kunth Food Leaves Salad

36. Cucumis melo L. Tembikai susu Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

37. Cucumis sativus L. Timun Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Kunyit Medicinal Leaves Delay aging Not traded

38.
Curcuma longa L. Leaves Cooking ingredient Not traded
Food
Rhizomes Cooking ingredient 1.50/kg

Cucurbita moschata Eaten cooked

39. (Duch. ex Lam.) Duch. Labu merah Food Roots 1.00/kg
ex Poir

Cymbopogon citratus Cooking ingredient

40. Serai Food Stems 1.00/kg
(D.C.) Stapf

Cymbopogon nardus Body odor prevention

41. Serai wangi Medicinal Leaves Not traded
(L.) Rendle

Diplazium esculentum Salad

42. Pucuk paku Food Young fronds Not traded
(Retz.) Sw

43. Donax canniformis Medicinal Stems High fever treatment Not traded
Bemban
(Forst. f) Schum Handicraft Stems Basket Not traded

Durio zibethinus Eaten raw

44. Durian Food Fruits Not traded
Murray

Income 0.40/ kg of fruit

45. Elaeis guineensis Jacq. Kelapa sawit Food Fruits
bunch

Etlingera elatior (Jack) Cooking ingredient

46. Kantan Food Flower Not traded
Smith.

Eugenia aquea Burm. Eaten raw

47. Jambu air Food Fruits Not traded
f.

Euphorbia milii Des Home garden

Pokok bunga
48. Moulin var. hislopii Ornamental Whole plant landscaping Not traded
deduri
Brouss

Home garden
49. Euphorbia trigona Haw. Kaktus segi tiga Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscape

Fever and dizziness

50. Ficus deltoidea Jack Mas cotek Medicinal Leaves, roots Not traded
treatment

Garcinia mangostana Eaten raw

51. Manggis Food Fruits Not traded
L.
 Milow et al. 2611

Table 1. Contd

Home garden
52. Helianthus annuus L. Bunga matahari Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

Medicinal Leaves Headache treatment Not traded

53. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Bunga raya Home garden
L. Ornamental Whole plants Not traded
landscape

Hylocereus undatus Eaten raw

54. Pokok naga Food Fruits Not traded
(Haw.) Brittan & Rose

Home garden
55. Impatiens balsamina L. Kembung Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

Ipomoea Salad
56. Kangkung Food Leaves, stems Not traded
aquatica Forsskal

Home garden
57. Ipomoea tricolor Cav. Seri pagi Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

Home garden
58. Ixora chinensis Lamk. Pecah periuk Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

Womb healing after

59. Kaempferia galanga L. Cekur Medicinal Leaves Not traded
childbirth

Kalanchoe pinnata Home garden

60. Setawar Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
(Lamk.) Pers. landscaping

Lansium domesticum Eaten raw

61. Dokong Food Fruits Not traded
Correa

Home garden
62. Lantana camara L. Bunga tahi ayam Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

Lawsonia inermis (L.) Yellow fever treatment

63. Inai Medicinal Leaves Not traded
Pers.

Lecanopteris sinuosa Home garden

64. Duit-duit Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
Wallich ex Hook landscape

Leucaena Treatment for animal

65. leucocephala (Lamk) Petai belalang Medicinal Leaves bite or sting Not traded
De Wit.

Lycopersicon Eaten cooked

66. Tomato Food Fruits Not traded
esculentum Miller

67. Mangifera indica L. Mangga Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Mangifera odorata Eaten raw

68. Mangga kuini Food Fruits Not traded
Griffith

Manihot esculenta Eaten raw

69. Pucuk ubi kayu Food Leaves Not traded
Crantz.
 2612 Sci. Res. Essays

Table 1. Contd

70. Manilkara zapota L. Ciku Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Home garden
71. Mentha arvensis L. Pudina Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
landscaping

Mikania micrantha Cure for sore throat

72. Selaput tunggul Medicinal Leaves Not traded
Kunth ex H.B.K

Mitragyna speciosa Kidney ailment

73. Ketom Medicinal Leaves Not traded
Korth treatment

Indigestion, bladder
74. Morinda citrifolia L. Mengkudu Medicinal Leaves ailment, skin itchiness Not traded
treatment

75. Muntingia calabura L. Ceri Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Murraya koenigii (L.) Cooking ingredient

76. Daun kari Food Fruits Not traded
Spreng.

77. Musa sp. Pisang Food Fruits Eaten raw 0.60/ kg

Mussaenda Home garden

erythrophylla
78. Janda kaya Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
Schumach. & Thonn.
var. 'Dona Luz'

Nephelium lappaceum Eaten raw

79. Rambutan Food Fruits Not traded
L.

Oenanthe Cooking ingredient

80. Selom Food Fruits Not traded
javanica(Blume) DC.

Cooked 1.12/ kg
81. Oryza sativa L. Padi Food Grains
unprocessed grain

82. Pandanus Medicinal Leaves Dandruff treatment Not traded

Pandan
amaryllifolius Roxb. Food Leaves Cooking ingredient Not traded

83. Food Fruits Eaten raw or cooked

Parkia speciosa Hassk. Petai Not traded
Medicinal Fruits Treatment for headache

Pedilanthus Home garden

84. Pokok lelipan Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
tithymaloides L. landscape

85. Phoenix dactylifera L. Kurma Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Eaten raw

86. Cermai Food Fruits Not traded
Skeels

87. Piper betle L. Sireh Medicinal Leaves Treatment for headache Not traded

88. Piper nigrum L. Lada hitam Food Fruits Cooking ingredient Not traded
 Milow et al. 2613

Table 1. Contd

Polygonum minus Cooking ingredient

89. Kesom Food Leaves Not traded
Huds

90. Psidium guajava L. Jambu batu Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

Psophocarpus Salad
91. Kacang kelisa Food Fruits Not traded
tetragonolobus (L.) DC.

Saccharum officinarum Beverage

92. Tebu Food Fruits Not traded
L.

Sansevieria trifasciata Skin care and

93. Lidah jin Medicinal Leaves Not traded
Prain treatment

Sauropus albicans (L.) Home garden

94. Asin-asin Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
Merr. landscape

Treatment for skin

95. Senna alata L. Gelenggang Medicinal Leaves Not traded
irritation

96. Solanum melongena L. Terung Food Fruits Eaten cooked 1.50/ kg

Stachytarpheta Liver ailment treatment

97. Selasih dandi Medicinal Leaves Not traded
jamaicensis (L.) Vahl.

Syzygium malaccense Jambu susu, Eaten raw

98. Food Fruits Not traded
(L.) Merr. & Perry. jambu bol

Syzygium Eaten raw

99. samarangense (Blume) Jambu semerang Food Fruits Not traded
Merr. & L. M. Perry.

Tabernaemontana Home garden

100. divaricata (L.) R. Br. ex Kembang susu Ornamental Whole plant landscaping Not traded
Roem. & Schult

101. Theobroma cacao L. Koko Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded
Vanilla planifolia Jacks. Home garden
102. Anggerik Ornamental Whole plant Not traded
ex Andrews landscape

Vigna unguiculata (L.) Eaten cooked

103. Kacang panjang Food Fruits Not traded
Walp.

104. Vitis vinifera L. Anggur Food Fruits Eaten raw Not traded

105. Zea mays L. Jagung Food Fruits Eaten cooked 0.50/ear

106. Zingiber officinale Medicinal Rhizomes Flatulence treatment 6.00/kg

Halia
No. Roscoe Food Rhizomes Cooking ingredient 6.00/kg

Villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah use these plants for species in Table 1 is regularly or sporadically sold by the
ornamental, food, medicinal and utensils. Several species villagers for income. The table also includes the unit price
has diverse uses. 12% of the total number of plant of the plants. Only two species of plants, E. guineensis
2614 Sci. Res. Essays

Table 2. Number of holdings with each species of plants grown at Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.

No. Species Number of holdings

1. Acorus calamus L.
2. Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Sprengel
3. Andrographis paniculata (Bum. f) Wall. ex Nees
4. Azadirachta indica A. Juss
5. Caladium bicolor Vent.
6. Cananga odorata L
7. Chrysanthemum morifolium L.
8. Citrullus lanatus (Thunberg) Matsum & Nakai
9. Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
10. Cucumis melo L.
11. Helianthus annuus L.
12. Lansium domesticum Correa
13. Lantana camara L.
14. Lecanopteris sinuosa Wallich ex Hook
1
15. Leucaena leucocephala (Lamk) De Wit.
16. Lycopersicon esculentum Miller
17. Mentha arvensis L.
18. Mitragyna speciosa Korth.
19. Muntingia calabura L.
20. Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. & Thonn. var. 'Dona Luz'
21. Parkia speciosa Hassk.
22. Pedilanthus tithymaloides L.
23. Phoenix dactylifera L.
24. Piper nigrum L.
25. Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.
26 Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (L.) Vahl.
27. Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.
28. Vitis vinifera L.
Total number of species = 28

1. Annona muricata L.
2. Celosia argentea L.
3. Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth.
4. Cucumis sativus L.
5. Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw
6. Ficus deltoidea Jack
7. Garcinia mangostana L.
2
8. Impatiens balsamina L
9. Mikania micrantha Kunth ex H.B.K
10. Piper betle L.
11. Sauropus albicans (L.) Merr.
12. Senna alata L.
13. Theobroma cacao L.
14. Zingiber officinale Roscoe
Total number of species = 14

1. Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench

2. Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) Schott.
3. Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. 3
4. Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R. Br. ex Roem. & Schult
5. Cosmos caudatus Kunth
 Milow et al. 2615

Table 2. Contd.

6. Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle

7. Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Brittan & Rose
8. Kaempferia galanga L.
9. Mangifera odorata Griffith
10. Polygonum minus Huds.
11. Solanum melongena L.
Total number of species = 11

1. Allamanda cathartica L.
2. Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg
3. Ipomoea tricolor Cav.
4
4. Psidium guajava L.
5. Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews
Total number of species = 5

1. Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd.

2. Bambusa pauciflora Ridl.
3. Catharanthus roseus (L.) Don
4. Etlingera elatior (Jack) Smith.
5
5. Euphorbia milii Des Moulin var. hislopii Brouss
6. Kalanchoe pinnata (Lamk.) Pers.
7. Lawsonia inermis (L.) Pers.
8. Saccharum officinarum L.
Total number of species = 8

1. Cucurbita moshata (Duch. ex Lam.) Duch. ex Poir

6
2. Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. & L. M. Perry.
Total number of species = 2

1. Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f.

2. Areca catechu L.
7
3. Artocarpus integer (Thunb.) Merr.
4. Sansevieria trifasciata Prain
Total number of species = 4

1. Averrhoa carambola L.
2. Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.&Panzer) Swingle
3. Euphorbia trigona Haw.
8
4. Manilkara zapota L.
5. Oenanthe javanica (Blume) DC.
6. Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.
Total number of species = 6

1. Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Bl.

2. Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. 9
3. Zea mays L.
Total number of species = 3

1. Averrhoa bilimbi L.
2. Citrus hystrix DC 10
3. Eugenia aquea Burm. f.
2616 Sci. Res. Essays

Table 2. Contd

4. Ixora chinensis Lamk.

5. Morinda citrifolia L.
Total number of species = 5

1. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. 11
Total number of species = 1

1. Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.

2. Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamk. 12
3. Donax canniformis (Forst. f) Schum
Total number of species = 3

1. Nephelium lappaceum L.
13
2. Syzygium malaccense (L.)
Total number of species = 2

1. Carica papaya L.
14
2. Manihot esculenta Crantz.
Total number of species = 2

1. Mangifera indica L. 16
Total number of species = 1

1. Bougainvillea x buttiana Holtt. & Standl. var. 'Barbara Karst' 17

Total number of species = 1

1. Capsicum frutescens L. 18
Total number of species = 1

1. Curcuma longa L. 21
2. Cymbopogon citratus (D.C.) Stapf
Total number of species = 2

1. Cocos nucifera L. 25
Total number of species = 1

1. Musa sp. 29
Total number of species = 1

1. Elaeis guineensis Jacq. 32

2. Oryza sativa L.
Total number of species = 2

Jacq. and O. sativa L. , were grown by the villagers
mainly for income.
DISCUSSION
Table 2 shows that most of the plant species that were
recorded during this study were found only at a certain
holding. Only E. guineensis Jacq. and O. sativa L. are
found in all the village holdings. These two crops are the
main source of income for the villagers and assistance to
grow them is provided by the government. Estimated total
annual income from the two crops is Malaysian Ringgit
829678.08 for the whole village (Table 3). Other plants in
Table 2 are believed to be grown at leisure or their
growth does not need intense care. According to the
 Milow et al. 2617

Table 3. Estimated income of villagers in Kampung Parit Tok Ngah from the selling of oil palm fruits
and rice.

Species Annual production in kilogrammes Income in Malaysian ringgit

Elaeis guineensis Jacq. 13.6713218 =226195.2 226195.20.4 =90478.08
Oryza sativa L. 125021322=660000 6600001.12 =739200.00
Total income 829678.08.

Handicraft Utensil
1

1 1

Medicinal
Ornamental 3 9 Food
16 51
24

Figure 2. Number of species for each category of plants that are planted in Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.

villagers, surplus from home use of these plants are sold
for income. However, other trends in Table 2 need further
study.
Most species of plants that are utilized by villagers in
Kampung Parit Tok Ngah have specific use. Fourteen
species or about thirteen percent of the total number of
utilized plant species in Kampung Parit Tok Ngah were
multi-purpose. Most of the plant species utilized by
villagers at Kampung Parit Tok Ngah were used for food.
Only one species of plants were used for handicraft,
whereas the number of plant species for making utensil
was only two. These are summarized in Figure 2.
Plant resource has direct economic value, indirect
economic value, aesthetic value and ethical value. Direct
economic value is derived from the food, construction,
materials, medicinal plants and other goods harvested
from natural areas, as well as from recreational facilities
and other services (Martin, 1995). An indirect value is
mainly in the form of benefit derived from other
environmental services provided by the plants (Primack,
2008). Aesthetic and ethical values are more subjective
and inclusive of appreciation for and right to existence.
Villagers of Kampong Parit Tok Ngah were aware of
direct economic value of their plant resource as all the
respondents could describe the uses and roles of each of
the plants that they grow. Perception of other values
could not be inferred from this study.
Several conclusions are drawn from this study. Firstly,
villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah emphasize income-
generating crops to grow in their holdings; secondly, most
of the species of plants were grown for specific purpose
of which food plants dominated in term of number of
species; thirdly, on the other hand, since direct economic
value of plants can be derived from crop yield, market
price, plant and uses, different study techniques need to
be devised to elicit other values of plant resource upheld
2618 Sci. Res. Essays
by the villagers of Kampung Parit Tok Ngah.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are grateful to the University of Malaya for supporting
this study through its research grant RG044/09SUS.
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Dunn FL (1975). Rainforest Collectors and Traders A Study of
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Martin GJ (1995). Ethnobotany: A methods manual. Chapman and Hall.
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