Traditionally used wild edible plants of district Udhampur, J&K, India
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(2018) 14:73
RESEARCH
Open Access
Traditionally used wild edible plants of district Udhampur, J&K, India Harpreet Bhatia1, Yash Pal Sharma1, R. K. Manhas2*
and Kewal Kumar3
Abstract Background: Wild edible plants (WEPs) refer to edible species that are not cultivated or domesticated. WEPs have an important role to play in poverty eradication, security of food availability, diversification of agriculture, generation of income resources, and alleviating malnutrition. In the present study, an inventory of traditionally used WEPs from Udhampur district of J&K, India, has been prepared. Methods: A systematic and extensive ethnobotanical survey was carried out in different villages of the district for the collection of information on WEPs. The data collected through questionnaire and interviews was then analyzed for cultural importance index (CI) and factor informant consensus (Fic) to know the cultural significance of WEPs and consensus for the knowledge of WEPs among the informants. Results: A total of 90 plant species belonging to 45 families and 78 genera were edible and serve as wild phytofoods in the present study. Species richness of wild edible species was the maximum for vegetables (46 species) followed by fruits (37 species) and medicinal plants (36 species). Culturally (on the basis of CI), the most important vegetable and fruit species were Diplazium esculentum, Fumaria indica, Taraxacum campylodes, Urtica dioica, Phyllanthus emblica, Punica granatum, Cordia dichotoma, Syzygium cumini, Ficus palmata, etc. The highest use-report (626) was recorded for vegetables whereas the maximum mean use-report (14.8) was recorded for fruits. On an average, 20.7 wild edible species were used per informant. Informant consensus index (Fic) varied between 0.83 and 0.94 for raw vegetables and preserved vegetables, respectively. Conclusion: One of the most important issues of this era is hunger for which one of the possible solutions is the usage of WEPs. The local populace of Udhampur has good knowledge of WEPs, and this legacy of traditional culture must be conserved. Keywords: Cultural importance index, Traditionally used, Wild edible plants, Udhampur
Introduction Wild edible plants (WEPs) refer to plant species that are not cultivated or domesticated but are accessible from various natural habitations and used as food [1]. WEPs are generally gathered from diverse habitats, viz, forests, cultivable fields, and even anthropogenically disturbed zones like roadsides and wastelands by different traditions throughout the world. A huge number of ethnic communities and local populace residing in the developing countries draw a significant part of their subsistence and livelihood from wild plants [2]. Historically, humans may have utilized more than 7000 WEPs so far [3], but * Correspondence: [email protected] 2 Department of Botany, Govt. Degree College, Kathua, J&K 184104, India Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
many such food resources and valuable plants are still to be explored [
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