Abstract:
The study of ethnomedicine has remained part of anthropological research practice since time
immemorial. Ethnomedicine as a domain of knowledge refers to the study of traditional knowledge used for
medical purposes. This paper presents a study on haanquu plant (Embelia schimperi), one of the most widely
known ethnomedicinal plant among the Oromo of Ethiopia. The study was conducted from January to June 2011
to explore and document the medicinal plant knowledge and use by the people. After several revisions, the study
has taken its present shape in June 2013. Data were generated through in-depth interviews and analysis of
observations and relevant archives. The Oromo traditionally use several ethnomedicinal plant species to manage
different human ailments like tapeworm. The people predominantly use haanquu plant species to curb tapeworm
menace. Results indicate that traditional healers‘ indigenous knowledge was not necessarily correlated with their
reported social status such as age and educational level. High degree of consensus was observed among
traditional healers in treating tapeworm (minnii) with minced haanquu plant beans. The use of this plant species
was significantly established for remedy measures. There is report of widespread practice of this ethnomedicinal
plant species. But this pervasive practice does not show significant variation with respect to the presence of
multiple users of the reported species. The results also show that ethnomedicinal plant species used by the
Oromo are under serious threat due to several factors. This indicates the need for attention towards their
conservation.
