Table 1.

Documented ritual plants used among the Bai in Shaxi, Soutwest China

Scientific name	Family	Specimen number	Habit	Habitat	Local names1	Parts used	Uses2
Artemisia sp1	Asteraceae	100523-4/1 100530-1/1	Herb	Fields	bǎihāozǐ	Aerial parts, leaves	RIT, dried and rolled to balls to ignite incense; OTH, leaves bagged and hanged around the neck as scented sachet3,4, shoot axis dried used as chop sticks3,4, whole plant placed in rice field as pesticide3,4.
Artemisia sp2	Asteraceae	100528-1/1 100530-1/2	Herb	Fields	hēihāozǐ, qīnghāo	Shoot axis, aerial parts	RIT, dried shoot axis used as stick for joss stick production4; MED, aerial parts topically applied against inflammations3,4 and to stop bleedings3,4; OTH, aerial parts steamed to clean air4, aerial parts rubbed to clean plates3,4.
Basella alba L.	Basellaceae	100523-1/1	Herb	Villages	téngqī	Subterranean parts	RIT, dried and powdered used as glue for joss stick production; CUL, subterranean parts edible3,4.
Bambuseae	Poaceae	100609-5/1	Shrub	Villages	zhúzi	Culm	RIT, dried, split culms used as sticks for joss stick production.
Chamaecyparis obtusa aff.	Cupressaceae	100530-1/4	Tree	Villages	biǎnbǎi	Branches, wood	RIT, dried and powdered branches and wood used as incense3; OTH, wood used to build coffins3,4.
Cinnamomum glanduliferum (Wall.) Meisn.	Lauraceae	100612-3/1 100607-2/1	Tree	Villages	xiāngzhāng	Leaves, fruits, wood	RIT, leaves dried and powdered used as incense3; CUL (MED), fruits edible, chewed against stomach ache3; OTH, wood is insect repellent therefore used to build containers for clothes3,4.
Cornus oblonga Wall.	Cornaceae	100529-3/1 100608-1/1	Shrub	Mountains	luceizi4, yiguizi4	Leaves, wood	RIT, leaves dried and powdered used as incense; FUE, wood used as firewood3,4.
Cupressus funebris Endl.	Cupressaceae	100523-3/1 100608-1/3	Tree	Villages	xiubai, sōngbǎi, xiāngbǎishù	Leaves, wood	RIT, leaves dried and powdered used as incense; wood chopped to match-sized pieces used as incense4; OTH, wood used to build coffins3,4 and construct houses3,4, branches placed in rice fields as pesticide3,4.
Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall.	Ericaceae	100530-1/6 100619-1/1	Shrub	Mountains	fāngxiāngyóu	Leaves, fruits, aerial parts,	RIT, leaves dried and powdered used as incense; CUL, fruits eaten raw3,4; MED, decoction of leaves used for postnatal washing3,4; OTH, leaves steam distilled to produce fragrant liquid4, aerial parts placed in rice fields as pesticide4.
Gonostegia hirta (Blume) Miq.	Urticaceae	100601-1/1	Herb	Villages	mùjué, nuòmǐcǎo4	Subterranean parts	RIT, dried and powdered used as glue for joss stick production.
Imperata cylindrica (L.) Rausch.	Poaceae	100527-1/1 100608-1/5 100609-1/2	-	Fields, Mountains	zǐsūncǎo	Whole plant	RIT, planted on top of graves to support prosperous family development.
Juniperus formosana Hayata	Cupressaceae	100530-1/3	Tree	Villages	cisong4, cìbǎi, shānshù4	Leaves	RIT, leaves dried and powdered used as incense.
Juniperus squamata Buch.-Ham.	Cupressaceae	100530-1/5	Tree	Villages	cìbǎi, shānshù4	Leaves, wood	RIT, leaves dried and powdered used as incense3, wood chopped to match-sized pieces used as incense4.
Ligustrum sempervirens (Franch.) Lingelsh.	Oleaceae	100529-2/1 100602-1/1 100608-1/4 100622-1/1	Shrub	Mountains	dongbuxiu, waibeizi4, dòubànxiāng, xiāngyè	Leaves	RIT, dried and powdered used as incense.
Lyonia ovalifolia (Wall.) Drude	Ericaceae	100609-4/2	Shrub	Mountains	xiumulu4, geizimeimeixi4	Leaves	RIT, dried and powdered used as incense3,4.
Pinus yunnanensis Franch.	Pinaceae	100529-4/1	Tree	Mountains	sōngshù, sōngbǎi4	Root	RIT, dried and powdered used as incense, used as fire powder on Torch Festival3.
Pistacia weinmanniifolia J. Poiss. ex Franch.	Anacardiaceae	100609-2/1	Shrub	Mountains	aixiang4	Branches	RIT, dried and powdered as incense.
Populus sp.	Salicaceae	100608-1/2	Tree	Mountains	baizou, baizong, báihuà4, báichá4, báiyángshù4	Branches	RIT, inserted into holes of gates and walls to prevent evil spirits and small animals from entering.
Prinsepia utilis Royle	Rosaceae	100529-1/1	Shrub	Mountains	z(h)ongdaqi, qīngcìguǒ, qīngpíshù4	Branches, fruits, seeds	RIT, branches inserted into holes of gates and walls to prevent evil spirits from entering; CUL, fruits collected and pressed for oil production, young leaves edible3,4; MED, seed-oil rubbed on skin against-inflammations3,4.
Ternstroemia gymnanthera (Wight & Arn.) Bedd.	Theaceae	100609-4/1	Shrub	Mountains	azijixiu4, xiangye	Leaves, aerial parts	RIT, leaves dried and powdered used as incense3; OTH, aerial parts placed in rice fields as pesticide4.

The specimens were collected and identified by the first author.

¹Local names are transcribed using Hanyu Pinyin without tones for Bai names, and with tones for Mandarin names.

²CUL, culinary use; FUE, fuelwood; MED, medicinal use; OTH, other uses; RIT, ritual use.

³Use not observed during field work.

⁴Information mentioned by less than three informants.