Plant Science Research, Vol. 39, 2017

Diversity of wild edible food plants and their contribution to livelihood of tribal people in Nabarangpur district, Odisha

Quite a good number of wild plants are used as food by tribals and other local people living  in and around the forests in several parts of India. The diversity of wild species not only offers  varieties in family food diet and contributes to household food security but also help in generation  of income by selling the excessive food plants in the local markets. The present papers deals  with 80 species of wild edible food plants belonging to 56 genera and 41families used by tribal  communities of Nabarangpur district of Odisha. This includes 71 species of flowering plants,  7 wild edible mushroom species and 2 species of ferns. Botanical name, local name, habit,  parts used and first-hand information on use value of each species has been provided. The  aspects of marketing, value addition and conservation of potential wild edible plants of  Nabarangpur district have been emphasized.