[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

English translation of the introductory remarks
(nota bene: there is no translation of the inventory itself)

ETHNOBOTANICAL INVENTORY

In the inventory presented below, the plants are first arranged in alphabetical order of
Latin names within the major botanical families, which are themselves arranged in
alphabetical order (pp. 38-91), and then in alphabetical order of Ankave names (pp. 92-
153).

The following are then indicated

e the ankave name of the plant

e the category (‘grass’ [ara’], ‘woody stemmed plant’ [iko’a’], ‘liana” [nwo’al],
‘bamboo” (foxs”), etc.) in which it is locally classified
1f applicable, its local gender categorisation (male, ox”, or female, aboxo”)
information on the particular habitat of the plant, the plant associations in
which it is found, etc.
its technical method of production (planting, semi-picking, etc.)
possible ethno-ecological information (e.g. “eaten by cassowaries and wild
gallinaceaes”, colour of the fruits, fruiting period, particularities in
reproduction, etc.)

e the food, technical, medicinal or ritual uses of the plant.

Given the theme of the main research it is associated with, this inventory only covers
forest or forest-origin plants, excluding domesticated food plants. For example, among
the plants present in the modest gardens surrounding village houses, the inventory
includes impatiens (decorative), crotons or cordylines (which constitute barriers) or
such Comensia whose leaves are used as containers, but does not take into account
taros, sweet potatoes or sugar cane. Conversely, the breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis)
and Finschia chloroxantha, appear in the present work because the Ankave do not
cultivate them in their gardens but obtain them from the forest and sometimes maiïntain
spontaneous groves.

Finally, it should be noted that unlike other ethnobotanical inventories (Barrau 1962
or Sillitoe 1983, to mention only two reference works), the only botanical descriptions
included in this inventory are those spontaneously provided by the informants - more
often than not, details of some particularity of form, appearance, or colour rather than a
general description.

Here is some information about the Ankave classification system of the plant world,
which is necessary to make the best use of this inventory.

At a first level, the Ankave distinguish between five main categories of plants, which

are not hierarchical:
e grasses (ara’)

35