TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND ETHNOBOTANICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE FALSE BAOBAB IN ISSABA

Kigelia africana is a species that is little known and studied, both by the populations of the Republic of Benin and by African researchers, even though it plays a vital role in traditional African medicine. The aim of this study, which was carried out in the Commune of Pobè, is to show the various traditional uses of K. africana with a view to its conservation to enhance the rich phytodiversity of the Republic of Benin. To this end, an ethnobotanical survey was carried out with 71 people, including 31 women and 40 men. The interviews focused on an inventory of the different organs used and marketed, the different areas of use of the organs, and the endogenous strategies for conserving the species. The Rapid Vulnerability Assessment method was used. The data collected was processed using Excel 2010 and analyzed based on ethnobotanical indices. The results show that the local population uses the species in 5 categories, of which traditional medicine is the most cited, with thirty-one types of use. The most commonly used organs are the bark (32%) and the fruit (19%). De-coction and calcination are the most widely used pharmaceutical forms and are most commonly administered orally and dermally. K. africana is also abundant in the environment. Despite this abundance, studies show that human pressure on the species and its habitat is significant; hence, there is a need to define a short-term conservation strategy for the species to ensure its sustainability.