Kajian Etnobotani Carica (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.) Buah Khas Dataran Tinggi Dieng

Ethnobotanical Study of Carica (Vasconcellea pubescens A. DC.) a Typical Fruit of Dieng Plateau

Carica (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.), merupakan jenis pepaya gunung dengan distribusi terbatas di Indonesia, ditemukan di Dataran Tinggi Dieng, Jawa Tengah. Carica merupakan buah khas Dataran Tinggi Dieng yang termanfaatkan dengan baik oleh masyarakatnya. Penurunan pengetahuan lokal kian mengkhawatirkan, sehingga diperlukan pendokumentasian melalui studi etnobotani. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji persepsi dan apresiasi masyarakat lokal terhadap etnobotani carica, nilai kegunaan dan nilai kepentingan bagian tumbuhan carica, serta karakteristik morfologi carica. Penelitian dilakukan di tiga desa Dataran Tinggi Dieng: Desa Dieng, Sembungan, dan Karangtengah. Responden sebanyak 30 orang dipilih secara purposive dan snowball sampling. Instrumen penelitian berupa panduan wawancara, kuesioner, dan herbarium. Pengetahuan lokal dan karakter morfologi dianalisis secara deskriptif. Persepsi dan apresiasi dianalisis menggunakan skala Likert, serta kegunaan carica diukur dengan menggunakan rumus UV dan PPV. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan persepsi terbaik terhadap cara pelestarian carica (96%). Apresiasi terbaik terhadap pelestarian carica di lingkungan sekitar (97,3%). Lansia memiliki persepsi dan apresiasi terbaik. Pemanfaatan carica sebagai produk olahan dan tanaman tumpang sari merupakan jenis pemanfaatan tertinggi dengan UV 100%. Buah merupakan bagian tanaman yang paling banyak dimanfaatkan, dengan PPV sebesar 78%. Karakteristik morfologi carica meliputi batang bercabang banyak, tangkai daun dan helaian daun bertrikoma, bunga majemuk, terdiri atas 5 kelopak lekat, 5 mahkota lepas, dan putik bercabang 5, buah tunggal dengan 5 lekukan sudut.

Kata kunci: apresiasi, botani, kegunaan, pengetahuan lokal, persepsi

Carica (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.) is a type of mountain papaya with limited distribution in Indonesia, found in the Dieng Plateau, Central Java. Carica is a typical fruit of the Dieng Plateau that is well utilized by the community. The decline of local knowledge is increasingly worrying, so documentation through ethnobotanical studies is needed. This study aims to assess the perception and appreciation of local communities towards carica ethnobotany, the use value and importance value of carica plant parts, and the morphological characteristics of carica. The research was conducted in three Dieng Plateau villages: Dieng, Sembungan, and Karangtengah villages. Respondents, as many as 30 people, were selected by purposive and snowball sampling. The research instruments were an interview guide, questionnaire, and herbarium. Local knowledge and morphological characters were analyzed descriptively. Perception and appreciation were analyzed using a Likert scale, and the usefulness of carica was measured using the UV and PPV formulas. The results showed the best perception of how to preserve carica (96%). The best appreciation of carica preservation in the surrounding environment (97.3%). Elderly people have the best perception and appreciation. The utilization of carica as a processed product and intercropping plants is the highest type of utilization with 100% UV. Fruit is the most utilized part of the plant, with a PPV of 78%. Morphological characteristics of carica include multi-branched stems, trichome petioles and leaflets, compound flowers consisting of 5 attached petals, 5 loose corollas, and 5-branched pistils, single fruit with 5 angular grooves.

Keywords: appreciation, botany, local knowledge, perception, usefulness