Diversity of wild edible plants and fungi consumed by semi-nomadic Gaddi and Sippi tribes in Doda district of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

Background: Consumption of Wild edible plants (WEPs) is a cultural heritage of tribal and other rural communities. WEPs have a vital role to play not only in ensuring nutritional security and combating malnutrition but also in meeting medicinal requirements, income generation for these communities, and crop improvement through plant breeding programmes. The present study was conducted with the objective of documenting traditional knowledge and practices of utilizing WEPs by Gaddi and Sippi tribes of Doda district of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (JKUT). Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in five villages of Doda district (JKUT) inhabited by Gaddi and Sippi tribes. The random sampling method was used for the selection of informants. The data was collected through interviews and focused group discussion with the informants as per semi-structured schedules. The uses of WEPs were recorded as use-reports, and culture importance value (CI) and factor informant consensus (Fic) were calculated from these values. Results: A total of 77 species spread across 58 genera and 39 families were reported by 203 informants (148 males and 55 females). Angiosperms represented by 63 species were the major source of forest foods followed by 9 fungal species. WEPs with the highest number of species were vegetables (34 species), and fruits and nutraceuticals (27 species each). The most important species on the basis of CI were Geopora arenicola (Lev.) Kers. (CI = 0.66), Geopora sumneriana (Cooke) M. Torre. (0.60), Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw. (0.56), Diplazium frondosum C. Chr. (0.54), and Mentha arvensis C. Presl. (0.52). Values of Fic ranged between 0.91 (nutraceuticals) and 0.99 (cooked WEPs). The knowledge of WEPs significantly increased with age and decreased with education level of the informants. Conclusions: The Gaddi and Sippi tribes are utilizing a good number of WEPs, and more importantly they exchange this information among themselves. As far as future prospects of this study are concerned, nutritional and nutraceutical properties of species like Anethum sowa, Arisaema propinquum, Diplazium frondosum, Dipsacus inermis, Elaeagnus umbellate, Elwendia persica, Geopora sumneriana, Impatiens glandulifera, Morchella crassipes, Morchella conica, Prinsepia utilis, Sageretia thea, Solanum villosum, Thymus mongolicus, and Ziziphus oxyphylla may be studied to make them popular amongst masses.