Herbal medicines sold in Wonosobo Traditional Markets, Indonesia

Abstract. Tsurayya DA, Saleh DA, Renaldi DR, Rizka DR, Widyaningyas R, Yasa A, Iskandar J, Saensouk S, Setyawan AD. 2025. Herbal medicines sold in Wonosobo Traditional Markets, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 8: 13-25. Medicinal plants, a significant part of the local culture and health practices, are not only culturally rich but also economically accessible at traditional markets. This study, conducted in the Wonosobo District, Central Java, Indonesia, aims to document the species and the utilization of these plants. The study employed a descriptive qualitative method through observations and direct interviews with 100 medicinal plant vendors. The results show that the total number of medicinal plants sold in Wonosobo's traditional markets, namely, Kertek Market and Wonosobo Induk Market, reached a total of 70 species with 34 families, i.e. 59 species at Kertek Market and 66 species at Wonosobo Induk Market, with suppliers coming from Wonosobo (51.4%) and Yogyakarta (48.6%), dominated by the Zingiberaceae family. The most commonly used parts of medicinal plants for consumption are leaves and seeds, with boiling being the most common preparation method. The most expensive plant found is the jasmine flower, with a price of IDR 400,000/kg (1 USD = 15,500 IDR). As developments progress, traditional markets continue to offer these economically accessible resources of medicinal plants in the form of medicinal concoctions such as jamu, wedang uwuh, and kembang sawanan.