Ethnobotanical and economic value of Ravenala madagascariensisSonn. in Eastern Madagascar

Table 1 Different uses of Ravenala madagascariensis recorded among the local people in Ambalabe with their frequency

Use category	Uses	Parts used	Frequency (%)	Salience
Human food	Cooked as vegetable	Heart	57.8	0.394
Animal food	Fodder for domestic animals (zebu)	Heart	1.7	0.003
Construction	Floor	Trunk	64.7	0.461
	Roofs	Leaves	50	0.404
	Wall	Petioles and trunk	42.2	0.303
	Beehives	Trunk	3.4	0.024
	Chicken coops	Leaves	1.7	0.012
	Gable	Trunk	0.9	0.009
	Doors	Petioles	0.9	0.003
Environmental uses	Cultivated in the garden as ornamental plant	Whole plant	0.9	0.002
Medicinal and veterinary	Dizziness	Young leaves	1.7	0.011
	Stomach-ache	Young leaves	1.7	0.006
	Regulates albumin levels	Heart	0.9	0.003
Utensils and tools	Ropes and moorings	Petiole fibers	25.9	0.112
	Winnowing trays	Petioles	15.5	0.066
	Spoons	Leaves	9.5	0.016
	Baskets	Petioles	3.4	0.03
	Fishing nets	Leaf rachis	3.4	0.027
	Mats	Petioles	2.6	0.017
	Cupboard	Trunk	0.9	0.006
	Chicken baskets	Petioles	0.9	0.005
	Beds	Trunk	0.9	0.004
	Mat for food and market display	Fresh, whole leaf	0.9	0.004
	Dishes	Leaves	0.9	0.004
	Tables	Trunk	0.9	0.002
Other uses	Hosts edible larvae	Trunk	0.9	0.006