Ethnobotanical documentation and use of wild edible plants among tribal communities in the Chilphi Range, Kawardha Forest Division, India

Abstract

Wild Edible Plants (WEPs) are nutritionally dense plant resources thriving in the wild which serve as beneficial food supplements to the local communities and help in eradicating malnutrition and promoting food security. The present investigation entitled “Ethnobotanical documentation and use of wild edible plants among tribal communities of Chilphi Range, Kawardha Forest Division, India” was carried out in the eight villages of Chilphi Range to document the ethnobotanical wisdom of local communities regarding WEPs diversity, plant parts utilised, and modes of consumption. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with indigenous informants leading to the documentation of 77 WEPs species belonging to 54 genera and 38 families with trees being the most represented life form (40%) and fruits being the most commonly used part (47%). Quantitative ethnobotanical indices, including Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) and Jaccard Index (JI) were calculated to evaluate cultural significance. The species with highest RFC values were Diospyros melanoxylon (0.94), Aegle marmelos (0.93), Buchanania lanzan (0.92) and Bauhinia purpurea (0.91), whereas species with least RFC values were Alangium salviifolium (0.08), Basella rubra (0.09) and Alternanthera pungens (0.14). Threats from overharvesting, deforestation, and erosion of traditional knowledge exists, highlighting the need for documentation and conservation of WEPs for promoting sustainable livelihood. This study provides baseline information to support community-based conservation planning, enhance nutritional evaluation of priority species, and promote the sustainable use and value addition of WEPs.