Shared and Separate Knowledge among Eight Cultural Groups Based on Ethnobotanical Uses of Rhododendron (Ericaceae) in Yunnan Province, China

Yunnan, a province in southwest China, is known for its cultural diversity of 25 ethnic minorities and its vast Himalayan biodiversity, especially of Rhododendron. Previous literature has shown that some cultural groups share ethnobotanical knowledge while other cultural groups keep their knowledge separate. We investigated factors that may lead to the sharing of knowledge based on the uses of rhododendron among seven cultural minorities (the Bai, Dulong, Lisu, Naxi, Nu, Tibetan, and Yi) and the Han majority. Semistructured interviews about rhododendrons were conducted with approximately 30 individuals in each cultural group. Cluster analyses and a new analysis method were conducted to determine the within-group homogeneity of knowledge of rhododendron uses to test hypotheses related to strength of cultural traditions. The Dulong, Lisu, and Nu were compared with each other as these groups share villages and languages. The Naxi, Tibetan, and Yi live predominantly with members of their cultural group, and are often monolingual; thus, these three cultural minorities were compared. The Bai and Han compose the final comparison as the Bai are increasingly interacting with the local Han majority as tourism grows in that area. The Bai, Dulong, Han, Lisu, and Nu had variable answers within each group, while the Naxi, Tibetan, and Yi have homogeneous knowledge of uses of rhododendron within their cultural group. Among the eight cultural groups compared for this study, factors such as sharing of language, overlap of living situation, and sharing of markets leads to non-homogenous knowledge of rhododendron uses among members of the same cultural group.