Diversity and traditional knowledge on some less known edible wild herbaceous plant resource from district Khunti, Jharkhand, India.

Abstract

The studies on the importance of wild edible herbaceous species to combat food insecurity and to resource poor household in most of the rural economies of the State Jharkhand had been almost neglected. This is because most of the wild herbaceous species grows in forests, marginal lands or in barren fields, and are considered of no use. The aim of this research paper is to prepare an inventory of some less known wild herbs which are used as edibles by the indigenous Munda tribe of district Khunti. As a result of ethnobotanical study about thirty-two less known edible herbaceous species were recorded. The local people had noted a decline in the availability of these wild herbs and related traditional knowledge, although not much had been done to cultivate them. However, these underutilized wild growing herbs if popularized and cultivated in large scale have the potentiality to combat food scarcity, food insecurity and malnutrition and could eventually raise the socio-economic status of rural households.